Purple Skies
by Serene Fairy
Summary: Sequel to Konketsu no Shoujo. Yumi's life seems to be going great, as she is now engaged to Hecadoth. However, when several children, including Baby Beel and a girl that Yumi babysits, mysteriously disappear, Yumi must team up with several humans and demons to complete a series of deadly tasks in order to save these children from a horrific, sinister plan.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! This was again, pretty tough to write! I had a hard time coming up with a good idea for a sequel, but I managed to finally get a good storyline! I hope you all enjoy the sequel to "Konketsu no Shoujo"!**

**Note: This story was somewhat inspired by Guillermo del Toro's Spanish film 'Pan's Labyrinth' (I highly recommend it, it's absolutely amazing!). After watching that movie, I fell in love with it so this became an inspiration to help me write this story. Pairings in this story are: Hecadoth x OC, Furuichi x Agiel, some slight Oga x Hilda, and some slight Tojo x Shizuka.**

**Disclaimer: Beelzebub belongs to Ryuuhei Tamura, not me.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1- Proposal<strong>

"I'm heading out now!" I call to Dad.

"Have a nice day, Yumi!" Dad calls back.

I smile as I see Takachin, Agiel, and Hecadoth waiting outside for me. "Morning, Yumi-chan!" Agiel greets.

"Morning!" I greet. "Ready for today?"

"Yeah," Takachin says. "Let's go to school."

It's been a while since we defeated the Kagirinai Kumori. Our lives have been continuing on as usual, and a lot has happened. My relationship with Hecadoth has grown stronger, and I've even learned some new things about him. As for Takachin and Agiel, their relationship is also growing well. However, we've noticed that Takachin is slowly starting to kind of push Oga and the others away in favour of hanging out with us.

"So, Furuichi," Hecadoth starts. "We've noticed that you're starting to push Oga away more. Weren't you two best friends?"

He looks a bit surprised. "I am?"

"Well, the other day, when Oga asked if you could play video games with him at his house, you said you had other things to attend to, even though you weren't that busy," Hecadoth comments.

"And last week, when he invited you over to his house for a party for Beelze-sama, you stood aloof from everyone else," Agiel adds.

I nod in agreement. "Yeah. Also, you've somewhat stopped having lunch with him like how you usually do, and you don't walk with him, Baby Beel, and Hilda-san to school anymore," I say. "Are you two going through something?"

Takachin simply smiles at us. "Nothing's wrong," he reassures us. "I'm fine. Honestly."

I simply shrug my shoulders. "Well, if there's something going on, then you can talk to us," I say.

Hecadoth nods in agreement. "Yumi," he says, getting my attention. I turn to face him.

"I have a surprise for you later this evening," he tells me, a small smile on his face.

I raise my eyebrows. "A surprise?" I ask.

He nods. "I'll meet you at your house," he says as we arrive at the school.

Our school day starts out normal, with Saotome-sensei teaching the class World History, even though Takachin, Agiel, Hecadoth, Kunieda, Hilda, and I are the only ones actually paying attention to him. When the bell rings for lunch, we go to our usual spot outside. I look down and I see a copy of _Lord of the Flies _in Hecadoth's hands.

"You're reading _Lord of the Flies_?" I ask.

He nods. "It's a very interesting novel," he says. "It has very good symbolism, and I like how the author shows that when you take away all authority and rules, the humanity of these schoolboys slowly deteriorates and they become savage. It's novels like these that help me understand humans a bit more."

"I guess that's another thing that you two have in common," Agiel says. "You both love quality literature and good stories."

I smile. "I sometimes like to dream up my own stories," I say. "Mainly just short little tales. It was my way of coping with stress."

"Really?" Takachin asks. "Can you share one with us?"

I think for a moment before one comes to mind. "Long long ago, there was a sakura blossom tree that bloomed on the top of a mountain. The blossoms were absolutely beautiful, they were in the colour of the most amazing shade of pink to ever exist, and they had the sweetest fragrance. According to legend, if you picked any of the blossoms, you could obtain anything your heart desired. However, the tree branches themselves were dangerous, because they were poisoned, and could kill you instantly."

"Men talked fearfully about the poisonous branches, but never about the rare gift of the blossoms. And so, the sakura tree, unable to grant its gift to anyone, wilted as the days passed. And no one ever obtained the blossoms, so it continued to wilt until the end of time," I finish.

"Wow…" Agiel says. "That was really good."

Hecadoth smiles slightly. "That actually says a lot about humans," he comments.

"How so?" Takachin asks.

"Whenever there is something that tempts them, but they cannot attain it, they always talk about the dangers of trying to obtain the item," he says. "Like in Yumi's story. No one ever talked about the blossoms and their gift. Only about the poisoned branches. And because of that, fear was instilled in their minds, so they were afraid to try and get the blossoms."

"Interesting," Takachin says.

Hecadoth gives me a small smile. "You're a really good storyteller, Yumi."

"Thanks," I thank, smiling at him.

"Oi, Furuichi." We turn and see Oga, Hilda, and Baby Beel. "Can we sit with you?" Oga asks him.

Takachin raises an eyebrow. "Why would you want to sit with us?" he asks, his voice suddenly becoming slightly hard. "I mean, wouldn't you rather sit with Hilda?"

We look at him in surprise. I've never heard Takachin using this kind of tone before!

Oga frowns at him. "Sheesh, I was just asking…" He turns and walks away. "No need for that attitude…"

When the three of them leave, we turn to look at Takachin. "What was that?" I ask. "Why so harsh?"

"I don't want to sit with Oga right now," he says.

Hecadoth raises an eyebrow. "Are you two fighting or something?" he asks, sounding a bit concerned.

"Yeah, you've suddenly started shutting out not only Oga, but those other delinquents," Agiel observes. "Did they go too far or something like that?"

Takachin shakes his head. "It's nothing," he replies casually, waving his hand.

Hecadoth looks like he's about to interrogate him further, but Agiel shakes her head slightly. "I'll interrogate him later," she says. "He's probably not in the mood to talk right now."

We shrug off the incident and continue with our day as usual. Throughout the day, I'm eagerly anticipating the surprise that Hecadoth is going to give me tonight. Eventually, school ends and we all go home for the day.

When I get home, I decide to change into something a bit nicer for Hecadoth. I change into a white sleeveless blouse with a maroon-coloured circle skirt for the evening. Just as I finish applying some makeup, I hear a knock at the door. I open the door and see Hecadoth at the door. I smile at him. "Hey you," I greet, kissing him on the lips.

"Hey," he greets. "Let's go on a walk together." He holds out his hand for me to take. After saying bye to Dad, we leave the house.

The two of us walk down the streets in a comfortable silence, holding hands. Hecadoth quickly lets go of my hand and wraps his arm around my waist instead. I use this opportunity to rest my head on his shoulder, humming softly to myself. After a while, we reach an area which is under the bridge. It's quiet, and reasonably well-lit. This specific area has become our favourite area to spend time together.

"You know what's so special about this place?" Hecadoth asks me. "This was where Agiel and I first turned up at when we came into the Human World."

I smile slightly. "Yeah," I say. "So much time has passed since then. I can't believe it." I chuckle to myself. "If someone told me that I was soon to be the girlfriend of a demon, let alone a Pillar General from Behemoth's 34 Pillar Division, I would've called them insane."

Hecadoth laughs at that. "Yeah. I never would've thought that I'd fall in love with a Konketsuji girl," he says. "But I guess a lot happens."

I nod. "Hecadoth… you said you had a surprise for me?" I ask.

He nods. "Yeah. About that…" He turns to face me. "Yumi… I figured that if I made a Promise with you, I might as well make it official. And… I've already earned blessings from your father, who was very eager for this."

Right then, Hecadoth gets down on one knee, much to my surprise. I feel my heart beating faster in anticipation. _Is this… what I think it's going to be? _I watch as he pulls out a small black box from his coat pocket.

"Tanaka Yumi…" He opens up the black box to reveal a beautiful diamond ring. The band is rose-gold with a small open rose blossom, and a pale yellow diamond sits in the center of the rose. At that point, I feel tears in my eyes.

"...Will you marry me?" he asks.

The first tear falls down my face as I open my mouth to say my answer. "Yes," I whisper, blinking back tears.

Hecadoth smiles as he stands up, sliding the ring onto my left ring finger. I look down at it in amazement. "It's beautiful…" I say.

He leans down and kisses me lovingly, wrapping his arms around my waist. I kiss him back and wrap my arms around his neck, feeling nothing but happiness and joy. We pull away and just stand by the river in a warm embrace, watching the sunset before turning and going back home.

At this point, I don't think anything can go wrong at all.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's Chapter 2! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Beelzebub belongs to Ryuuhei Tamura, not me.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2- Chiyoko<strong>

"Yumi-neechan!" Maeda Chiyoko, the cute little five-year-old I babysit a lot, cheers upon seeing me at the door. Her black hair is tied into two pigtails and she wears a blue blouse and a jean skirt, holding her swim bag. I smile as I bend down and hug her.

It's a Friday evening and I've been called on to babysit little Chiyoko by taking her to the waterpark today.

"Hi Chiyoko!" I greet. "How are you?"

"I'm good!" she says. Her mother, Maeda Keiko, greets me at the door.

"Chiyoko really wants to go to the waterpark with you," she tells me. "Is that okay with you?"

I nod. "Of course!" I say. "I'll see you around, Keiko-san!"

"You too," she says. "Okay Chiyoko? Be good to Yumi-neechan."

"Okay!" she says. "Come on, Yumi-neechan! Let's go!" She grabs my hand and starts pulling me out of the door. I smile at her enthusiasm.

I really love Chiyoko. She's like a little sister to me and she's very different from most five-year-olds. She loves fantasy stories and learning how to play chess. She also loves it when I imagine up stories and tell them to her rather than reading from a fairy tale. Likewise, Chiyoko-chan looks up to me as a big sister. She really likes me as her babysitter because, according to Keiko-san, previous babysitters always tried to make her like girly things, which she hated so much.

We arrive at the Aqua Cove Waterpark, Ishiyama's local indoor waterpark. This waterpark is actually part of a hotel, but it's also popular among locals as well as tourists. Chiyoko and I go to the changerooms to change into our swimsuits. After I help Chiyoko with her purple one-piece swimsuit, I get changed into mine, which is a pink bikini with a pale blue ruffled bandeau halter top with pink flower patterns, and a pink frilly skirt bottom.

As I tie my hair into a side ponytail, I realize that this bikini highlights some of the… desirable parts of my body. My body is not as attractive as Hilda's (who's like a model), but for me, certain features stand out in certain clothes. Clothes such as my uniform hides it, but my bikini definitely emphasizes these features. "Okay, Chiyoko!" I say. "Let's go!"

"Yay!" she cheers, grabbing her blue beach ball.

We walk out into the main water park where there's a large wave pool, tall waterslides, a kids' splash pad and play area, smaller waterslides, some smaller swimming pools, a lazy river, and a heated whirlpool. There's also a large aquarium and several snack stands. Already, I see that there are lots of people here. "Yumi-neechan!" Chiyoko says, tugging on my hand. "Come on! Let's walk around!"

I smile at her. "Of course," I say. "You're a big girl now. You don't have to go to the splash pad anymore, right?" I praise.

She nods. "Let's go now!" She pulls me by the hand, dragging me away from the change rooms.

We walk around the water park, looking around. "I've never been here before," I say. "But this really reminds me of the large indoor waterpark in Edmonton."

"What was that like?" Chiyoko asks me.

I smile. "It was a really huge indoor waterpark," I say. "And it's inside a shopping mall!"

"Whoa, that's so cool!" she gushes. "I wanna go there one day!"

As we find some chairs by one of the smaller swimming pools and sit down, a thought comes to me. _Is it possible that there are waterparks in Makai as well? Well, if they can have onsens, then I guess there are waterparks as well. They'll probably be more morbid, though._

"Huh? Yumi-chan?" I suddenly hear Agiel's voice. Chiyoko and I turn around and sure enough, we see Takachin, Agiel, and Hecadoth, much to my shock. Along with them are Graphel and Naga as well.

Agiel is wearing a dark blue bikini with white polka dots on it while Takachin is wearing a pair of blue swim trunks. Likewise, Hecadoth is wearing black swim trunks, Graphel is wearing dark blue swim trunks, and Naga is in dark purple swim trunks. Upon seeing me in my bikini, I see a light blush form on Hecadoth's face as his eyes widen slightly. I also blush in embarrassment, trying to hide my face from him.

"G-Guys?" I ask, suddenly becoming nervous. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, Graphel and Naga just came over to visit Hecadoth and Agiel today," Takachin explains. "And my mom suggested that I take them here because it would be fun."

"Yumi-neechan, you know them?" Chiyoko asks me, looking up at me.

I nod. "These are some of my school friends. Furuichi, Agiel, Graphel, and Naga," I say. "And that's Hecadoth, my boyfriend, and fiancee."

Chiyoko gasps in awe. "You're getting married, Yumi-neechan?!" she asks.

Takachin, Agiel, Graphel, and Naga look surprised. "Hecadoth, you never told us!" Graphel says. However, he smirks and pats his shoulder. "But congratulations anyways."

"Where's the ring?" Naga asks.

"Oh… I took it off and left it at home so it wouldn't get lost here," I say.

Right then, Chiyoko starts shaking my hand. "Yumi-neechan, can I be a flower girl at your wedding? Please? Please?" she pleads, causing me to chuckle.

Agiel smiles at her. "Aww, she's so cute!" she coos. "Who is she?"

"This is Maeda Chiyoko," I say. "I'm babysitting her right now." I smile down at her. "Why don't you say hi?" I coax her gently.

"H-Hi…" she greets shyly, hiding behind me. "I'm Chiyoko…"

"Hecadoth, why don't you and Yumi hang out together?" Takachin suggests, smiling slightly.

Hecadoth smiles back. "Thanks, lieutenant," he thanks him.

He sits down in the chair next to me. "Your swimsuit… it looks nice on you," he tells me.

I blush lightly. "Th-Thanks," I thank. "What are Graphel and Naga doing here?" I ask.

"They decided to visit us just to see how we're doing," Hecadoth says. "Again, Furuichi's family welcomed them warmly and were generally very hospitable."

I smile. "That's good," I say.

He looks at Chiyoko, who's walking in front of us. "You babysit?" he asks.

I nod. "Yeah," I say. "Chiyoko's five years old and she's the cutest little girl ever. She's not like a typical five-year-old girl. She loves fantasy stories, drawing, learning how to play chess, and stuff like that." I smile slightly. "She's like a little sister to me."

"Don't take this as an insult, but in all honesty, the way I saw you talking to her, it reminded me of a mother," he says. "You have a maternal instinct, it seems."

"You think so?" I ask.

He nods. "Yeah," he says.

Right then, Chiyoko comes up to me. "Yumi-neechan, why does Hecadoth-san have gill ears?" she asks me.

I smile encouragingly at her. "Why don't you ask him yourself?" I suggest gently. "Don't worry. He's a nice person." Even with this, she still hides behind my leg, looking shy.

Hecadoth smiles slightly at this and bends down slightly so he can talk to her. "You want to know why I have gill ears?" he asks, his voice becoming gentle. "These ears, and this tattoo, they symbolize that I'm a general."

Chiyoko's eyes widen in awe. "You're a general in an army?" she asks.

He nods. "Graphel-san and I are generals in our own part of the army. Naga-san is the commander we serve under," he explains.

She smiles excitedly. "You'll protect Yumi-neechan, right?" she asks. "You're a general, so please protect her!"

At that, I feel my face heating up and I giggle slightly. Even Hecadoth chuckles at that. "Of course I will," he reassures her, gently patting her head. "I love her."

She smiles at him. "Yumi-neechan's amazing, Hecadoth-san!" she starts chatting happily to him. "She's really sweet and nice! She's also really pretty, isn't she? I wanna be as pretty as her one day! When she smiles, she's so…"

I giggle at her eagerness and Hecadoth simply smiles in amusement as Chiyoko continues chatting away happily. "Isn't she cute?" I ask.

He nods. "She is," he says.

"I didn't know that you had a soft spot for children, Hecadoth," I giggle.

Suddenly, I hear some disgusted chatting from nearby. I look up and to my dismay, I see several mothers sitting at a table, glaring disapprovingly at Hecadoth and I.

"Look at her! Such a lovely young girl and here she is, wasting herself on that punk!"

"Disgraceful… a girl like her shouldn't be having children already."

"How can she even be around such a person?"

"Kids these days…"

I roll my eyes, trying to ignore them. "I swear, if I hear another woman assuming that I'm an irresponsible teenage mom…" I mutter, glaring at the floor.

"I know, right?" We turn and to our surprise, we see Hilda, Oga, and Baby Beel. Hilda's currently wearing a black bikini while Oga's in black swim trunks and Baby Beel is in blue swim trunks.

"Hilda! Oga! What're you doing here?" I ask.

"Tatsumi's mother suggested that the three of us go to the water park as a family," she says. "The Young Master seems to enjoy it here." She smiles at Baby Beel. "Right, Young Master?"

"Dabuh!" he cheers.

"Long time no see, Little Brother." Right then, we see Lord En, wearing red swim trunks, followed by his three maidservants: Yolda, Isabella, and Satura. Yolda's wearing a pink and black zebra-striped bikini, Isabella's wearing a leopard-print bikini, and Satura's in a shimmery red bikini.

"Lord En-sama," Hecadoth addresses, bowing slightly.

"What are you doing here?" Hilda asks, sounding surprised.

"The Master wanted to see his little brother again," Isabella explains. "We supposed that it would be nice if the two of them could see each other again."

"I just saw Furuichi and Agiel coming down one of those waterslides," Lord En says. "I wanna go on that slide as well!" He runs towards the waterslides, causing Yolda, Isabella, and Satura to run after him while Oga, Hilda, and Baby Beel go to the wave pool.

"Yumi-neechan! I wanna go swimming!" Chiyoko says eagerly. "Hecadoth-san, you can come as well!"

"Sure," I say. I climb into the water, which is waist deep, and Hecadoth follows as well. Chiyoko then gets into the water and just floats around with her arm bands, playing with her toys.

I move closer to Hecadoth, who wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me close to him, giving me a kiss on my cheek. "So, Hecadoth," I say. "What are waterparks like in Makai?" I ask.

Hecadoth laughs slightly. "Well, they're far more… morbid by human standards," he says. I laugh at that.

However, I suddenly sense Hecadoth's mood changing. "Hecadoth? Is something wrong?" I ask. However, my question is ignored when he suddenly starts to pull me into the deeper end of the pool.

"Why don't we go further?" he suggests. Chiyoko notices this and she swims up to us. We stop until we're around chest-deep in the water. I raise an eyebrow slightly, wondering what's up.

"Hecadoth, what are you-" Again, I'm cut off when he suddenly pulls me close to his chest. At this action, I feel my face heating up. "Hecadoth!" I exclaim, blushing.

"Yumi-neechan, some men are looking at you funny," Chiyoko says.

Right then, I turn my head in the direction that Hecadoth is looking in. Sure enough, I see a few men with lecherous looks on their faces eyeing me in my bikini as if I'm no more than a piece of meat. "Oh gosh..." I mumble, both annoyed and embarrassed.

Suddenly, I see Hecadoth glare coldly at them. To my amusement, majority of them become terrified and leave. Unfortunately, there are still some leering at me.

"Damn, they're not even leaving!" I hear Hecadoth curse under his breath. I suddenly see what looks like a cunning glint in his eyes.

"Hecadoth...?" I ask. Suddenly, I feel his hands cup my face and he suddenly gives me a passionate kiss on my lips. My eyes, though wide at first, close on their own and I kiss him back. I can almost feel the jealous glares of those men but I just ignore them as we kiss.

When we pull away, those men are gone. "Wow..." I murmur. I giggle as I turn to look at Hecadoth. "Were you jealous?" I ask.

"I was more disgusted by the way they were looking at you," he tells me. "They looked like they were undressing you with their eyes and I couldn't stand that. I tried to be subtle but some of them wouldn't leave."

I smile softly at him. "Well, I'm glad you weren't too rash," I say. "I'm also glad you didn't tell me to stop wearing swimsuits."

"I'd never say that," he says. "I just believe that men shouldn't lust after another man's woman, especially if it's quite clear that she's already taken."

"That was pretty bold of you, Hecadoth," Graphel suddenly teases. "I mean, kissing her in front of a five-year-old?"

"Well, it was better than just beating up those men and creating a scene," Naga says. "You handled it pretty well, Hecadoth."

"Hey!" Chiyoko protests. "I'm a big girl now!" She then smiles at me. "I hope I can find a boy who's as nice as Hecadoth-san one day!"

I smile at her. "Of course you will, Chiyoko," I reassure her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks to Frayner and Devlin Dracul for the reviews! I've decided to add Chapter 3 as well. Here, the plot starts to pick up. Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Beelzebub belongs to Ryuuhei Tamura, not me.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3- Misunderstood<strong>

"Yumi-chan, let me see the ring!" Agiel says at lunchtime today.

I smile and hold out my left hand, allowing her to look at my engagement ring. "Wow…" she says. "It's so pretty!" She suddenly grabs my shoulders. "Yumi-chan, can I be your Maid of Honour? Can I? Please?"

I laugh, removing her hands from my shoulders. "I still have to graduate and get a job first, Agiel," I say, laughing.

"I wonder how the rest of the Pillar Division will react?" Hecadoth muses.

"Well, I'm sure they'll be happy for you," Takachin reassures.

I chuckle. "My dad was so happy that night," I say. "He's happy that I'm happy, and he said that my mom would've been proud as well."

"Of course she would've," Hecadoth says. "My parents would've been proud as well."

"Oi, Furuichi!" We turn and see Nene, a concerned frown on her face. "Where's Aoi-neesan? She hasn't been in school for few days and her phone keeps on going to voicemail!"

Takachin shakes his head. "I don't know," he says.

"Now that you mention it, Aoi-chan hasn't been in school for a while now," Agiel comments.

Right then, the bell rings, signalling the end of lunch time. Slowly, everyone else starts to come back into the classroom. As they take their seats, Nene, Chiaki, Ryoko, and Yuka notices how close Takachin and Agiel are sitting next to each other. "Oi Agiel, why are you sitting so close to Creepichi?" Yuka asks.

Agiel looks a bit confused. "I can sit as close to him as I want to," she defends.

"Yeah, but he's a lolicon and a pervert," Ryoko points out, glaring at him. "He can't keep his eyes off of Oga's wife!"

"Well, I've changed!" Takachin tries to defend himself.

"He's a pedophile! He's always hanging around Lamia!" Yuka adds. Nene frowns at her, trying to get her to stop, but to no avail.

Chiaki frowns at Takachin. "Trash," she mumbles under her breath.

Hecadoth and I frown at the girls. This is starting to get a bit out of hand. And it unfortunately reminds me of some of my experiences in my previous school in Edmonton. Before I realize, I frown disapprovingly at the girls. "Hey," I say sternly. "Lay off him."

Ryoko looks surprised at this. "Yumi? You're defending him? He's a creep!" she protests, but I shake my head, refusing to hear it. Takachin is not a creep, in fact, he's far from a creep.

"I may not know him for as long as you have known him, but I at least made the effort to talk to him!" I defend him. "And he's far from a creep!"

Unfortunately, my efforts to defend him are futile, because he just gets up and walks out of the classroom without a word. I give the girls a dry, sarcastic smile. "Nicely handled," I comment, ignoring their surprised looks.

"I'll go after him," Agiel says, leaving the classroom.

Hecadoth turns to me, looking a bit surprised at my harshness. "What's wrong, Yumi?" he asks.

I shake my head. "I'll tell you later," I say.

From across the room, we see Oga, Hilda, and Baby Beel looking at us questioningly. We ignore those looks for the rest of the day. Eventually, the day ends and we all leave the classroom, ready to go home.

"Care to explain what's wrong now?" Hecadoth asks me as we walk home together.

I let out a sigh. "I know I was a bit harsh on them, but when they just randomly started calling Takachin names like lolicon and pervert, just because he was dating Agiel, I kind of got upset," I say. "It… It reminded me of an incident that happened at my previous school in Edmonton."

"What was that?" he asks.

I smile wryly. "Well, I had become friends with this one girl in my second year of high school," I say. "She seemed like a nice girl and we got along well… until the popular girls came in." I practically spit out those words. "They were like, 'Eww, why are you hanging out with her? She's a freak! They say you'll get killed if you're friends with her!' And they told her about how I had reported several of them when they were bullying some students, and then she just became a real bitch." I shake my head. "She suddenly started to call me a bunch of racial slurs and told me to go and die in a hole."

Hecadoth looks both surprised and disgusted at that. "Wow…" he says. "That's just… even a demon knows better than to tell someone to go and die like that."

I nod. "So, when I saw the Red Tails being seriously hard on poor Takachin, I nearly lost it," I say. "Poor guy… he really has it rough, hm?"

"Yeah, he does." We turn and see Oga, Hilda, and Baby Beel behind us.

"What are you doing here, contract holder?" Hecadoth asks.

"Have either of you seen Furuichi?" Oga asks.

I shake my head. "No. Agiel went after him though," I say. "He looked rather upset." My eyes brighten upon seeing Baby Beel. "Hi, Baby Beel-chan!" I coo, smiling at him.

"Da buh!" he exclaims happily, smiling at me.

Oga turns to Hecadoth. "Yo, Fish Face," he says. "Do you know what's wrong with Furuichi? He's been acting weird lately. He just won't talk to me at all!"

"Even though I don't like him that much, I'm kind of concerned about him," Hilda adds. "He's never acted like this before."

Hecadoth shakes his head. "We don't know," he replies. "Whenever we try and ask him, he just avoids the topic."

I smile sadly. "He's probably hurt from the words that those girls said to him," I say. "I mean, it was kind of uncalled for. What's their problem?"

"He often tried to flirt with them," Oga explains. "Because of that, he's become known as a creep and a pervert."

"But he's not a creep," I say. "He's far from a creep, actually. He's just misunderstood."

Hecadoth shakes his head. "Sometimes, I just can't understand humans," he admits, sounding slightly sad. "It seems like whenever someone is happy, others must always try and find a way to tear them down and make them miserable for their own pleasure."

"Mm," I hum in agreement.

Hilda looks thoughtful at that. "That's actually a very valid point," she muses.

We decide to stop at a cafe just for some drinks. I get a strawberry bubble tea, Hecadoth gets a green tea, Oga gets a melon soda, and Hilda gets a peach bubble tea. As we sit down at a table, we see Agiel and Takachin come in. Takachin looks a bit sad, and Agiel has her arm around his shoulder in a comforting way. "Hey, Agiel!" I wave at them.

"Hey guys," Agiel greets. "What's up?"

"Nothing much," I say, sipping some of my bubble tea.

"How's he feeling?" Hecadoth asks.

"A bit better," she says. "He's truly a misunderstood guy, you know?"

To try and cheer him up, Oga gives some of his melon soda to Takachin, who takes only a small sip. "Care to tell us the problem?" I ask him.

Takachin sighs. "I'm just tired," he says. "I don't really want to talk about it right now, though."

"Fair enough," Hecadoth says. "If you do have something to share, then please tell us."

Takachin nods. "Okay," he says.

Right then, we hear the sounds of conversation between two women from a nearby table. "Did you hear? This past week, there have been several children gone missing!" one of them says.

"Yeah, I heard," her friend says. "Kouta-kun, Aoi-chan's little brother, he went missing at preschool a few days ago. I feel so bad for the family. Aoi-chan even had to miss school to look for him. Poor girl, she's missed school for quite a few days now."

"Also, Nanami Satoru and Nanami Haruka, the youngest brother and sister of that St. Ishiyama girl Nanami Shizuka, they just went missing yesterday."

"What do you think's happening?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to be holding onto my daughter a little more tightly from now on."

We look at each other, now feeling concerned. "Children have gone missing?" I ask. I turn back to the women. "Excuse me, but what's this about?"

One of them turns to me. "This past week, several young children have mysteriously gone missing," she starts. "No one knows what happens, but they always go missing in places such as schools, parks, or even from their own houses."

"It's quite disturbing," the other woman adds. "Not even the police are able to solve this out. I do hope those children are still alive."

"How strange," I muse.

"Yes. Please, do take care on your way home tonight," one of them cautions. "I'd hate if something bad happens to you."

Hilda looks out of the cafe window. "Let's go now while there's still daylight," she says.

That night, when I get home, I turn on the TV and go straight to the news channel. Sure enough, this is the leading story. "And the case of missing children is still continuing this week, this time with the disappearances of Nanami Satoru and Haruka, who went missing near the train station on their way home from school yesterday evening. Starting with the disappearance of Kunieda Kouta, who disappeared in the middle of preschool, this case just seems to get more and more stranger," the news lady says.

As I listen to the news, I can't help but feel uneasy about these events. Clearly there's something up with these sudden disappearances, but I can't put my finger on it. It seems like it's more than just some sick, twisted child offender who's doing this. I might have to look further into this and find out more about what happened.

I hope that no other children go missing. I'm going to be babysitting Chiyoko again this weekend and I really hope that nothing happens to her as well.


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's Chapter 4. Hope you all enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Beelzebub belongs to Ryuuhei Tamura, not me.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4- Missing Children<strong>

This morning, Kanzaki storms into the classroom, clearly agitated and upset. "Whoa, Kanzaki-senpai!" Takachin exclaims.

"What's wrong?" Agiel asks.

"My niece Futaba just went missing last night!" he nearly shouts, his voice worried and agitated.

Yuka looks shocked. "Futaba's gone missing as well?!" she asks.

"We were on our way home from the convenience store last night when she suddenly ran off. I followed her into an alley and then… that's when things got crazy," he explains.

"What happened?" Natsume asks.

"This black stuff suddenly grabbed her in front of me! And when I followed it, I saw what looked like a woman with a surgical mask on! She had these glowing yellow eyes, black hair, and she wore a brown trenchcoat, and she just grabbed Futaba and disappeared! It's crazy!"

"That's how my brother and sister disappeared." We turn to the doorway and see Shizuka, a concerned frown on her face.

"Shizuka…" I say. "I'm so sorry to hear about your brother and sister."

She nods. "However, I just want to say something," she starts. "One witness, a career woman at the train station, she told me she saw what looked like a woman crawling up to them and grabbing them from behind. She tried to chase after them but they were gone." She frowns apprehensively.

This time, Takachin, Oga, and Hilda start listening. "What happened that day?" Takachin asks.

"Satoru and Haruka had a club after school, so they were coming home at a later time," Shizuka explains. "They usually come home at around 7:00 pm, because their favourite anime is at 7:15. When they didn't come back at 7:00, we thought it was odd. However, it was towards 7:30 when we started getting worried. That's when the police called and said that they went missing."

"I'm sorry to hear about that." We turn and see Kunieda at the doorway. Unlike her usual composed, tidy appearance, she looks tired and exhausted, her eyes bloodshot. It's quite obvious that she's been crying, which is understandable. "I remember getting the call from the teacher at the daycare and she told me that Kouta was gone," she says, her voice sounding hoarse. "She apparently saw what looked like some humanoid creature grab him. She tried to stop it, but the creature and Kouta were both gone."

Hecadoth frowns. "I should've known," he murmurs. "This isn't the work of a human criminal. Clearly, this is the work of demons."

"But why would demons want to be kidnapping children?" I wonder. "More specifically, why these children?"

"This has just gotten weirder and weirder," Agiel says.

The rest of the day is quiet and the atmosphere is very tense. Kanzaki even leaves school early so he can go look for his missing niece. And now that we know that this is beyond some human criminal kidnapping children, we're all troubled and disturbed and we're wondering what to do. In fact, Saotome-sensei lets us out early because even he's rather troubled by these events.

I fiddle nervously with my engagement ring as we walk home. As we pass by the city centre, we suddenly notice two businessmen in formal suits… but with distinctive gill ears. They turn to face us, and we realize in surprise that it's Graphel and Naga!

"Hecadoth!" Graphel exclaims.

"Graphel? Naga?" Hecadoth asks. "What are you doing here? I thought you went back to Makai! And why are you dressed as Human World businessmen?"

"It's an appropriate disguise for us," Naga explains. "We were unable to enroll into a high school, unlike you and Agiel."

"But what are you doing here?" Agiel asks.

"Division Leader Behemoth sent us here because of recent events," Graphel starts. "First of all, there are rebel demons attempting to assassinate the royal family. Also, there's been rumours that lower-class demons that have been banished to the Human World are helping out the rebels."

"Also, he feared for Lord En-sama's safety, so Lord En-sama and his maidservants have come to the Human World again, disguised as career women," Naga adds. "We're all staying over there." He points at a very posh-looking hotel on the other side of the business center.

My eyes widen in shock. "Wait… demons are kidnapping children?!" I ask.

"Don't jump to conclusions yet," Naga advises. "It's quite possible that demons are kidnapping these children, but we don't know yet."

"But why these particular children?" I ask. "That's what makes no sense whatsoever. Why would they want Kunieda's little brother, Shizuka's little brother and sister, and Kanzaki's niece? Is there something significant about them?"

"That's what's confusing us as well," Naga comments, a frown on his face. "Even if they were demons, why would they go after these children? What's so special about them? They're just humans."

"Well, Kouta is the younger brother of the leader of the Red Tails," Agiel says. "So, he'd have some potential for being a strong guy when he's older."

"And Futaba is the niece of one of the strongest members of the Tohoshinki," I add. "And for Satoru and Haruka, they're the siblings of one of the members of the Six Holy Knights."

Takachin frowns, clearly disturbed at something. "What if they're trying to target Baby Beel?" he realizes. "But if that's their motives, then why take all these other children?"

"There's more than what meets the eye, it seems," Hecadoth muses. "We'll do some further investigation tomorrow. But for now, let's just keep on considering these possibilities." He turns to me. "What's wrong, Yumi?"

I shake my head, feeling a pit in my stomach. "This is really not sounding right," I say. "I'm feeling a bit uneasy about this. There's something up, no doubt, but it sounds absolutely sinister and terrifying."

"We'll find out what it is," Hecadoth reassures me.

"And when we do, we'll put an end to this," Agiel vows.

However, even with this reassurance, the uneasiness still doesn't go away. Especially after what Kanzaki said about the person who kidnapped his niece. Could he be talking about... no, he can't be talking about _her_. She's just an urban legend! Well, then again, if demons are real, then I guess urban legends can be real as well.


	5. Chapter 5

**To Devlin Dracul, Pan isn't going to be showing up. I only said the story was inspired by 'Pan's Labyrinth', mainly because of a certain scene. However, it's mainly Japanese urban legends that will be showing up, as well as other surprise creatures. Anyways, hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Beelzebub belongs to Ryuuhei Tamura, not me.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 5- Babysitting Gone Wrong<strong>

Saturday evening finally comes. I knock on the door and I hear the sounds of two feet sprinting to the door. When the door opens, I see Chiyoko smiling eagerly at me. "Yumi-neechan!" she cheers, hugging me.

I bend down and hug her. "Hey Chiyoko," I greet. Keiko-san greets me at the door.

"Thank you so much for doing this, Yumi-san," Keiko-san thanks me. She bends down and smiles at her daughter. "Okay, Chiyoko? You be good to her."

"Okay!" she says. "Bye Mama!"

Once Keiko-san leaves, I turn to Chiyoko. "So, what do you want to do?" I ask her.

"Can we play chess?" Chiyoko asks me.

I smile. "Why sure," I say. "We can also use your new chess set that you got for your birthday!"

She smiles eagerly. "Yay!" she cheers, running to her room. I smile as I watch her run upstairs to get her chess set.

"I have my chess set!" Chiyoko-chan says, running back to the living room.

I smile at her. "Great! Now, let's get started," I say. "Do you remember all the names of the pieces?"

She nods. "Yeah! I also remember what each piece does!" she declares.

I smile at her. "You're a really clever girl, Chiyoko!" I praise. "Do you want to try and play a game with me?"

Chiyoko nods eagerly. "Yeah!"

The two of us then get started on the chess game. However, as we start to play chess, I can't help but think about the missing children in Ishiyama, because the numbers just seem to keep on growing. This time, Oomori Kaede, the younger sister of Nene, has gone missing yesterday evening on her way home from school. The thing that's scary about this is that no one knows what happened on the night that these children went missing. I'm really starting to suspect some demonic interference.

However, there's another thing that's really bothering me. Kanzaki had said that his niece was taken by what looked like a woman wearing a surgical mask. Could he be referring to… Kuchisake-onna, the Slit-Mouthed Woman? I shake my head. No, she's only an urban legend. However, what Kunieda said about her brother's kidnapper. He looked like a humanoid creature. Could she be talking about a Kappa?

All these thoughts are so disturbing to even think about, and I fail to notice Chiyoko calling my name. "Yumi-neechan!" she finally shouts, bringing me out of my thoughts.

I turn to her. "Sorry, Chiyoko," I apologize. "I just have a lot on my mind."

"I have something I want to ask you," she tells me.

I nod. "I'm listening."

She looks at me with serious eyes. "Yumi-neechan, do you believe in demons?" she asks.

My eyes widen in shock. However, I know better than to lie to a smart girl like her. I hesitantly nod my head. "Yes, I believe in demons," I tell her. "Where did this come from?"

Chiyoko looks down solemnly. "I think I'm able to sense them," she tells me. "That day at the waterpark, I could tell that Agiel-san, Hecadoth-san, Graphel-san, and Naga-san weren't human. And two days ago, I was walking home from school when I suddenly felt cold, and I suddenly heard this voice ask me 'Do you want a red cape or blue cape?' from an alley. Even though it sounded normal, it made me feel really scared."

"Like, the hairs on the back of your neck just stood up?" I ask.

She nods, her eyes suddenly becoming fearful. "It scared me," she whispers. "And, I know about these missing kids. I'm friends with Nanami Haruka. She told me that she once heard what sounded like a 'teke teke' sound on the ground three days ago. Three days after she heard that, she went missing. What if… What if I'm next?"

My eyes widen in shock again. However, before I can answer her question, we suddenly hear the sound of glass breaking from the kitchen. Immediately, my senses are on high alert. "Chiyoko, I want you to hide. Now," I tell her softly. She nods and quickly hides behind the couch.

Once she's hidden, I take a nearby baseball bat to defend myself if I have to. I cautiously make my way over to the kitchen, where I see the kitchen window, broken and smashed. On the ground are several glass pieces and a stone. "What the-?" Right then, I sense it. The demonic aura.

Suddenly, I hear a scream from the living room and I gasp in shock. Chiyoko!

"Chiyoko!" I cry out in alarm. I run to the living room only to freeze in my tracks, horrified at the sight. I see Chiyoko, her eyes wide with fear and terror, in the arms of a tall man completely covered in a hooded red cape, the demonic aura literally radiating from him.

The man turns to face me and to my horror, his face is concealed by a plain white mask. Right then, a chill goes down my spine as I feel my heart beating faster in shock. This guy… he's Aka Manto!

"Aka Manto!" I exclaim in shock.

The demon merely looks at me before jumping out of the front window with Chiyoko in his arms, shattering through the glass. However, I quickly run out the front door, sprinting after him.

"Yumi-neechan!" Chiyoko screams out for me as Aka Manto speeds through the streets. I run as fast as I can after him, determined to get her back.

"I'm coming!" I call back desperately as he makes a right turn towards the park. As I continue running, I suddenly see Hecadoth, Graphel, Naga, Takachin, Lamia, and Agiel, looking like they're having a rather serious conversation. They suddenly turn and see Aka Manto speeding towards them, much to their shock.

"What the-?!" I hear Agiel nearly shout.

Takachin looks stunned. "Wait… isn't that Aka Manto?!" he asks.

"Out of the way!" I shout, nearly pushing past them.

"Yumi?!" I hear Hecadoth exclaim, both surprised and confused. Right then, I hear their footsteps, and I know that they're now involved in the chase.

I chase Aka Manto through the park into a wooded area. He suddenly runs through the entrance of a large old labyrinth, much to my surprise. _A labyrinth? What's that doing here? _I wonder to myself. I follow him through the entrance, not stopping at all as I run through each turn and corner.

"Chiyoko! Can you hear me?!" I call out.

"Yumi-neechan! Help me!" I hear her cry out.

Eventually, after a while, I finally reach the center of the labyrinth, my breath coming out in heavy pants. Unfortunately, to my dismay, both Aka Manto and Chiyoko have disappeared. "Chiyoko!" I call out, worried and concerned. "Chiyoko!"

"Yumi!" I suddenly see the others reaching the center of the labyrinth through the same path. Hecadoth runs up to me.

"Yumi, what happened?" he asks.

"Chiyoko's been kidnapped!" I nearly shout, starting to blame myself for telling her to just hide like that.. "I was at her house, and everything seemed normal. But then, I heard the kitchen window breaking, so I made her hide before going to see what was wrong. Then I suddenly heard her scream and before I realized, Chiyoko was taken by Aka Manto!" I sit down on the ground, exhausted and worried. "It's all my fault…"

"Wait, did you just say 'Aka Manto'?" Takachin asks, looking surprised.

I nod. "Yeah. Like the urban legend," I say.

Hecadoth looks somewhat surprised. "Aka Manto… that sounds so familiar…"

Right then, we suddenly hear other voices. "Hey, you let Baby Beel go, bastard!" We hear Oga's voice shout, sounding very angered.

"Let the Young Master go right now, filth!" Hilda's voice shouts, her voice furious. Right then, we see Oga and Hilda emerge into the center of the labyrinth through another entrance. They stop in shock upon seeing us.

"Hecadoth?" Hilda asks, confused. "Wait, what are you doing here?"

Before any of us can say anything, we start hearing more voices within the labyrinth. "Kouta! Kouta!" Kunieda suddenly shouts.

"Futaba! I'm coming!" Kanzaki suddenly calls.

"Satoru! Haruka!" Shizuka cries out.

"You let them go, or you'll be sent to your grave!" Tojo growls out.

"Kaede! Hold on!" Nene cries out.

Eventually, we see Kunieda, Kanzaki, Shizuka, Tojo, and Nene emerging from other entrances into the center of the labyrinth. Kunieda looks around the center of the labyrinth, stunned. "What the-?!" she stutters. "Where did Kouta go?!"

"What are you doing here?" Oga asks.

"I was on my way home from the convenience store and I saw the same creepy lady again, and she had Futaba in her arms!" Kanzaki says. "But this time, she removed her mask and her mouth was slit! She then asked me 'Am I pretty?', and then she just ran off! I chased after her, and now here I am!"

My eyes widen in shock. "Wait… do you mean… Kuchisake-onna?!" I ask.

"Tora and I had gone out this evening to look for Satoru and Haruka at the train station. Then, we saw a legless woman with Satoru and Haruka in her clutches! She then ran off and her nails made a 'teke teke' noise!" Shizuka explains. "We chased after her and now, we're here."

"At the shrine, I saw what looked like a Kappa with Kouta in his arms!" Kunieda explains. Right then, an annoyed frown crosses her face. "Although, I actually saw him when I caught him spying on me when I was just going for my bath. Anyways, I threw on my clothes and chased after him, but he was too fast!"

"Teke Teke?! Kappa?!" Takachin asks, shocked. "Hold on, isn't Teke Teke an urban legend?! And isn't the Kappa a yokai?!"

Hecadoth, Graphel, Naga, Agiel, and Hilda look shocked at this new information. "Wait… don't tell me…" Naga trails off.

"I was just on my way home from school," Nene explains. "I was walking home and everything seemed normal until I went on the overpass. Suddenly, I heard what sounded like creepy whispers and then suddenly, this creepy looking woman with half her hair missing and a disfigured face appeared in front of me, holding Kaede, and then she just ran off!"

"Wait, that sounds like Oiwa, that creepy ghost from _Yotsuya Kaidan_!" I exclaim.

"You're familiar with _Yotsuya Kaidan_, the kabuki play?" Takachin asks.

I nod. "I had done a project about kabuki theatre for my drama class at my previous school, and this was one of the plays I read about," I explain.

"Hilda, Baby Beel and I were just walking home when we also came across this seriously tall and creepy guy with a black suit and a blank white face stalking us! Then, tendrils of demonic aura suddenly shot out from behind him and grabbed Baby Beel off my back!" Oga explains.

I become even more shocked. "Isn't that… Slenderman?!" I ask. This case has just gotten even more weird!

"Slenderman… Teke Teke… Kuchisake-onna… Aka Manto… a Kappa… and Oiwa…" Hecadoth muses. Suddenly, his eyes widen in shock and horror. "These guys… they're lower class demons who were banished to the Human World!"

"Hold on…" I say, my voice disbelieving. "These urban legends and yokai and onryo… they're demons?!"

"That's right!" A male's voice suddenly proclaims. We turn to the source of the voice, which is on the top of one of the walls, and to our shock, we see a familiar teen boy with jet-black hair, onyx eyes, and the black T-shirt with the Ankh! This guy… this is Thanatos from the Kagirinai Kumori!

My eyes widen in shock. "You're… Thanatos! Of the Kagirinai Kumori!" I exclaim.


	6. Chapter 6

**Man, I'm on a roll today! Hope you enjoy Chapter 6!**

**Disclaimer: Beelzebub belongs to Ryuuhei Tamura, not me.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 6- Return of the Kagirinai Kumori<strong>

"But wait, I thought you went to prison!" Naga shouts, shocked.

Thanatos sneers. "I found a way out… and so did Lavinia, Samael, Mordred, and Cerberus," he states. "We're back to avenge Azazel's death and Caligula's defeat, as well as overthrow the royal family."

"So you're behind the disappearances of these children!" I snarl.

"You asshole!" Kanzaki snarls. "Give me my niece back!"

"Yeah! And give me my little brother back!" Kunieda shouts.

Right then, we see the urban legend demons appear, holding the children. Each child looks incredibly terrified and fearful and I feel my anger rising when I see Aka Manto with Chiyoko. "You coward!" I seethe. "You kidnap children as your form of revenge?! You deserve to die!"

"Baby Beel!" Oga shouts.

"Young Master!" Hilda cries out.

Lavinia smirks at us. "Who would've thought that these lower-class demons, who can barely even scare a fly, can bring so much fear into the hearts of humans?" she taunts.

"These demons were easy to persuade," Mordred says. "We just promised that they'd return to Makai if they assisted us."

Hecadoth brings out his spear. "Just what do you plan on doing with these children?" he demands. "And what do you plan on doing with Beelze-sama?!"

Thanatos sneers. "We'll make these human children our contract holders," he says. "These children are not only the siblings of the strongest delinquents, but they're strong, both mentally and physically. They'll make for good contract holders." He turns to Slenderman, who's holding a scared Baby Beel. "As for the prince, he'll be our hostage."

My eyes widen in shock. "Children as contract holders?!" I ask. "Is that even possible?!"

"Children aren't strong enough to be contract holders!" Graphel exclaims.

"Their bodies and minds are still developing, it doesn't matter if they're the siblings or nieces of the strongest delinquents! They won't be strong enough to take in demonic energy!" Naga protests.

"And besides, Kouta is only two, you sick bastard!" Kunieda shouts.

"Give 'em back to us, assholes!" Oga snarls.

Thanatos smirks. "Fair enough," he comments. "You can get them back. However, in order for them to be returned, you'll have to complete a series of different tasks in a week. If you can complete them within a week, then we'll return all of them, including the prince, back to you, completely unharmed. If you don't, well… I can't guarantee that they'll still be alive."

We all glare at them. "We accept!" Takachin declares. "You'd better bet that we'll complete these tasks! And we will get these children back!"

"Good," Thanatos says. "Your first task will be told to you tomorrow. So, go to the girls' bathroom on the third floor of that St. Ishiyama school for your task." He smirks. "Have fun dying."

They all disappear, leaving us in the center of the labyrinth. "Looks like we're doing the tasks," Lamia says.

"And judging by his last remark, these tasks won't be any cakewalk," Agiel says. She looks around the center of the labyrinth. "Now, we have to find a way out of here."

"Not to worry." We turn and see Yolda, standing in front of a portal. "Lord En-sama, Isabella, Satura, and I sensed your presence in there. Come."

We all go through the portal and appear outside of the labyrinth. There, we see Isabella, Satura, and Lord En. "We heard what happened," Isabella says. "Who would've thought that the Kagirinai Kumori is at it again?"

"And getting lower-class demons to help them out?" Satura asks disbelievingly. "How low!"

I nod. "Yeah, it's a cowardly thing," I say, trying to contain my anger at their nerve. "Capturing children? If they were put in Human World prisons, they wouldn't last even a day."

"That doesn't matter now though," Takachin says. "Let's all team up and complete these tasks together! If we work together, then we can save them all!"

Naga nods. "We should," he says. "We must put aside any differences and work together as a team."

"And I want to help as well!" Lord En declares. "I want to help save my brother!"

He walks up to Hecadoth, Graphel, Naga, and Agiel. "I'll need all the help I can get if I want to save my brother," he starts. "Will you help me?"

The four of them look surprised for a moment before they kneel down on one knee, their heads bowed. "Why of course, Lord En-sama!" Hecadoth says, sounding honoured.

"It is our honour, Young Master!" Graphel adds.

"You don't even need to ask us!" Naga says.

"We'd love to help!" Agiel says.

I watch in shock at how dedicated they are in serving Lord En. Wow, undying loyalty really does mean something in Makai.

"I'm joining in as well!" Kanzaki declares. "If those assholes even dare lay a hand on my niece, they'll be eating one hundred heel drops!"

"Count me in!" Nene adds. "I'll do whatever it takes to get my sister back!"

"And so will I!" Shizuka says.

"I'll help out as well!" Tojo adds.

"Let me help out as well!" Kunieda says. "Those bastards will never lay a hand on Kouta as long as I get there!"

"I'll do whatever it takes to save Chiyoko," I say. "If they even try and hurt her, they'll really feel it from me."

We all declare our promises to help out. Hilda smiles slightly. "Perfect," she says. Oga turns to her.

"What about my contract with Baby Beel?" he asks. "What happened to that?"

"Not to worry," she reassures him. "It's only been temporarily severed. When you get the Young Master back, the contract will be reformed again."

Suddenly, I hear the familiar sound of the song 'Cling Cling' by Perfume, my standard ringtone, causing everyone to turn to me as I take my phone out of my jean pocket. Right then, it hits me. Keiko-san's back home, and she's probably wondering what the hell happened! "Hello?" I say, taking the call.

"Yumi-san, is that you?" she asks, sounding rather panicky. "Where are you? Where's Chiyoko?"

"Yeah, it's me," I say. "What happened? Oh, it's a long story."

"Oh, thank goodness!" she sighs. "I was so worried when I came home and I saw the front door ajar, my kitchen and main windows broken! I thought you two went missing and I was so scared because there was no ransom note or anything!"

I sigh. "Okay, Keiko-san. Listen to me. Unfortunately, Chiyoko isn't with me. However, I'll tell you what happened when I get back there," I say.

"O-Okay…" She hangs up.

"Dammit…" I mumble to myself, fiddling with my ring. "How the hell am I supposed to tell Keiko-san that her daughter's just joined the line of missing children?"

I hastily run back to Chiyoko's house, where Keiko-san is waiting for me, concerned and worried. "Yumi-san!" she says. "What happened? Where's Chiyoko?"

I take a deep breath, looking down sadly. "Keiko-san… Chiyoko's been kidnapped," I say. "I deeply apologize for this."

"What?!" she almost shouts, shocked. "What happened?!"

"You see, we were here playing chess when we suddenly heard the kitchen window breaking," I start. "I made Chiyoko hide just in case and I went to see what happened. However, when I saw the broken window, I suddenly heard Chiyoko scream and I came just in time to see her getting abducted by a masked man in a red cape, so I chased after them."

"What are we going to do?" Keiko-san asks me.

I put my hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Keiko-san," I reassure her. "I will bring your daughter back. In order to do so, I will have to complete some tasks that the abductors have laid out for us. But rest assured, I will bring your daughter back, unharmed."

She gives me a small smile. "Thank you so much, Yumi-san," she thanks. "I know you'll do well."

That night, as I get ready for bed, I think about the tasks we have to do. They must be pretty dangerous, but I don't care. I'll do whatever it takes to help save those children.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7, when the very first task starts! Hope you all enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Beelzebub belongs to Ryuuhei Tamura, not me.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 7- Mimic<strong>

"So, everyone's here?" Hilda says, looking around at us gathered in the classroom for this meeting. Even though it's Sunday, the school's open and we've decided to get started on the tasks as quickly as we can. "Last night, Tatsumi and I got a letter that explains our first task. Listen to it." She takes out a rolled up letter and unrolls it.

"'Do you ever use the third stall in a bathroom? Or do you get scared at the thought of the third stall? Well, it doesn't matter. You'll have to go to that one today if you want to retrieve your first item. Your first task: go to the last stall in the girls' bathroom on the third floor of the school. Once you're there, knock on the door three times and ask 'are you there, Hanako-san?'. When you hear her answer, open the door. But beware. She may get rather pissed off and she… might try to kill you. Well, try and destroy her first. When you've done that, retrieve the item from the stall. You'll need it for the next task.'"

"H-Hold on…" Nene says, looking shocked. "Did you just say Hanako-san?!"

"Yes," Hilda replies. "Who is she?"

"She's an urban legend. Hanako-san of the Toilet," I explain. "After she's summoned, they say that if you go into her stall, she'll drag you into the toilet and kill you."

"That legend scared us girls throughout elementary school," Shizuka recalls.

"Who'll carry out this task?" Hilda asks.

I raise my hand up slightly. "I will," I say, bringing out a self-defense steel baton and a small can of pepper spray from my bag.

"So will I," Kunieda adds, pulling out her wooden sword. "I'll help you out, Yumi."

"Let me as well!" Agiel says. "I'd love to help out Aoi-chan and Yumi-chan in this!"

Hilda nods. "Very well," she says. "However, you'll need some backup as well."

Hecadoth raises his hand. "I'll wait outside the bathroom door, just in case," he volunteers.

"Me too!" Takachin adds.

And with that, we go to the girls' bathroom on the third floor of the school. While Hecadoth and Takachin wait outside of the bathroom, us girls enter. When Agiel and Kunieda look at me, I nod and walk up to the third bathroom stall door, which is closed. I knock on the door three times. "Are you there, Hanako-san?" I ask, feeling rather nervous.

A while passes, but eventually, I hear it. "Yes, I'm here," an innocent child's voice rings out from the stall. Right then, we sense it. The demonic aura. I look back at Agiel and Kunieda and they walk closer, their weapons ready.

Agiel kicks the door open, holding her sword up. To our surprise, instead of a little school girl, we see a large, terrifying three-headed lizard with glaring onyx eyes, snarling evilly.

"That's… That's a lower-class demon!" Agiel exclaims. "The Mimic!"

Suddenly, the monster spits some orange substance from its mouth in the center head. We hastily duck as the substance hits the door. To our shock and horror, the substance sizzles and burns a hole in the door. "Holy…" I trail off.

"What the hell was that?!" Takachin shouts from outside, clearly horrified.

Right then, the lizard lets out a hideous roar, causing us to cover our ears. Agiel rushes up to the monster, raising her sword. "Dark Sword… Bloody Grave!" she shouts, slashing it's chest. The lizard shrieks in pain and the three of us run out of the bathroom.

"Heca-chan! Furuichi!" Agiel shouts. "Run for it!"

The five of us run down the hallway around a corner, bringing out our weapons. Hecadoth brings out his spear, Agiel unsheathes her sword, I bring out my baton, and Kunieda brings out her wooden sword. We hear the lizard roaring and its footsteps getting closer.

"What the hell is that?!" Kunieda asks. "I thought we'd encounter a school girl, not this!"

"This is a lower-class demon that was banished to the Human World during the war," Hecadoth explains. "Known as the Mimic, it can imitate anything, including human sounds. To think that this is now feared as the Human World urban legend of Hanako-san of the Toilet…" He smiles wryly. "This thing's weaker than it looks, actually."

"Well, maybe to you, it's weak!" Kunieda says incredulously. "For humans, this thing's pretty damn strong!"

"Guys, I have a plan!" Takachin says. "When that Mimic comes, Hecadoth and Agiel, you two attack its knees. Kunieda-senpai, you distract it with your Shingetsu Style. Once it's distracted, Yumi, you weaken it once more with an attack and then either Hecadoth or Agiel will deliver the final blow."

Hecadoth nods. "Good idea, lieutenant," he praises. "But what about you?"

"I'll run into the bathroom and retrieve the item while you guys attack the Mimic," he says.

Right then, we hear the roar of the Mimic. "Let's do this!" I say determinedly.

"Yeah!" Hecadoth and Agiel charge towards the Mimic, holding out their weapons. They proceed to strike its knees, causing it to howl in pain. Right then, Kunieda runs out, a pink glow surrounding her.

"Shingetsu Sword School, Second Style…" she starts. "Countless Petals, Scattering Sakura Blossoms!" Kunieda shouts, repeatedly slashing the Mimic, creating several cuts on its body.

I smile slightly because I realize that now's the chance I can use my new trademark attack that I've taught myself a while back, and that I've just recently perfected. I charge at the Mimic, holding my baton as the demonic aura surrounds me. "Demonic Quintessential Perfume…" I say, the black aura surrounding me and whisking me behind the lizard. "One Thousand Butterfly Surge!" I shout as I materialize again, bringing the baton down and striking it in the back.

The Mimic shrieks hideously, collapsing onto the ground as I land on my feet. Right then, Hecadoth uses the opportunity to jump up and impale the Mimic with his spear. With one last howl of pain from all three heads, the Mimic dissolves into nothing.

"See? What did I tell you?" Agiel scoffs, glaring in disgust at the dissolving corpse. "Nothing but a weak demon."

"Yumi, that was a pretty impressive attack you just did," Hecadoth tells me. "How'd you learn it?"

"I… I taught myself after observing some of the demons," I say. "It's my new trademark attack: Demonic Quintessential Perfume, One Thousand Butterfly Surge. However, I didn't use it in its full force. If I did that, the Mimic would've been sliced into one thousand pieces."

"Guys!" We turn and see Takachin running to us, holding a small pouch. "I've got the item!"

"Let's go back to the others and show it to them," I say.

"So, did you defeat the creepy toilet girl?" Oga asks when we get back to the classroom.

"It wasn't a girl," I say. "It was a giant three-headed lizard."

Takachin hands the small pouch to Hilda, who reaches in to see what it is. She pulls out a silver hand mirror from the pouch as well as two large obsidian rocks. "What does the letter say?" she asks.

"'So you've defeated the Mimic," Takachin reads aloud. "Bet you were surprised to see it was a three-headed lizard and not some school girl, huh? This mirror is known as Medusa's mirror. If you hold it out to your opponent, they will turn to stone. These obsidian rocks are from the Great Makai Volcano. When thrown hard enough, they will destroy almost anything. For your next task, go to the abandoned subway tunnels at the Ishiyama Train Station. In the tunnels is a nest of Demon insects known as Gokiburi-Suzumebachi. They are human-sized hybrids of man-eating cockroaches and hornets. Retrieve the item from the nest before destroying it with the obsidian rocks.'"

My eyes widen in shock. "Uh… human-sized insects?!" I ask, shivering. "I'm outie."

"You don't have to, since you already completed this task," Hilda tells me. "Lamia, tend to whatever injuries that Yumi, Hecadoth, Agiel, Kunieda, and Furuichi got."

Tojo grins. "I'll take care of this one." Right then, he brings out a blowtorch. "I'm so glad I brought this along! I finally get to have a use for it!"

"A… blowtorch…?" Takachin asks, a bead of sweat rolling down his head.

"Where did he get that from?" I ask, sweat-dropping at the sight as well.

"I'll assist you in that." We turn and see Graphel, much to our surprise. "Not even a better-than-average human can take on those bastard bugs alone."

"He's right," Hecadoth agrees. "Those bugs are extremely dangerous."

Tojo looks surprised for a moment but smirks. "Sure," he says. "I guess I'll have to leave our fight to the end."

Graphel smirks. "Right. I nearly forgot," he says. "But first, I must warn you. Gokiburi-Suzumebachi bugs are a bitch. Especially in Makai."

"I'm doing this as well!" Shizuka adds, smiling at Tojo. "After all you've done for my brother and sister, I think I should fight alongside you, Tora."

I smile slightly. One task down, more to go!

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><p><strong>Gokiburi-Suzumebachi means "Cockroach-Hornet". Hope you all enjoyed this chapter!<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**This chapter and the next chapter will be in Shizuka's POV. There's some Tojo x Shizuka fluff in both these chapters so enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Beelzebub belongs to Ryuuhei Tamura, not me.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 8- Gokiburi-Suzumebachi<strong>

_**(Shizuka's POV)**_

We arrive at the abandoned subway tunnel. While Tora carries his blowtorch with him, Pillar General Graphel has the mirror and I have the rocks. Even though he's offered to help us out, I still feel a bit wary of Graphel, especially since he nearly killed Tora in his first fight with him. Not to mention, he nearly choked me as well when I tried defending Tora and he also nearly killed Izuma-kun.

When we reach the entrance to the abandoned station, we suddenly see a teenage boy with silver hair, blue eyes, and he's dressed similarly like Graphel and Hecadoth, except his coat has gold fringes at the shoulders. "Naga, what are you doing here?" Graphel asks.

"I was told by Hecadoth to give you this." He hands us a small pot. Graphel opens it to reveal an oily substance.

"What's that?" Tora asks.

"It's the smell gland of the Gokiburi-Suzumebachi insects," he explains. "Rub it on yourselves. If you do that, it'll mask your scent and they won't notice you. Good luck down there."

Graphel scoops some of the smell gland onto his hands and rubs it on his face, his hair, and his clothes. Likewise, Tora and I do the same. Oddly enough, this doesn't have any foul smell or anything like that.

"What's the strategy?" Tora asks once we're done.

"We'll go into the subway tunnel," Graphel starts. "You and I will petrify and incinerate as many of the Gokiburi-Suzumebachi insects as we can. Woman, you retrieve the item and throw the rocks into the tunnels and destroy any remaining insects."

I nod. "And by the way, my name's Shizuka," I tell him. "Don't call me 'woman' any more."

He nods. "Also, let's try and stay alive down there," Graphel says.

We climb down into the tracks and start walking towards the tunnel. However, as we walk, I shiver slightly. I'm kind of claustrophobic and entomophobic after two unfortunate incidents when I was a kid. I had become claustrophobic after playing a game of hide-and-seek and I had hidden in a closet. Unfortunately, I didn't know that I had locked myself in the closet and I got scared until Tora eventually came and helped me out.

I developed a fear of insects after I had been stung by a wasp when I was a kid. I was playing outside with Tora again when a wasp suddenly landed on me and stung my arm. That was the same day I found out I was allergic to wasp stings.

Tora senses my nervousness and turns to me. "Shizuka, you okay?" he asks me. I hear a slight hint of concern in his voice.

"No," I say, shaking my head. "But I'm doing this so I can get over my fear of tight spaces and insects."

"You're so brave," Tora tells me, a small chuckle escaping from him. "You're the same as you were in those days."

When he says that, I feel my face heating up. Did he just… make a comment about our childhood?

"Here we are," Graphel says, stopping at the entrance to one of the tunnels. Through the flickering lights in the tunnel, we see a sight that makes my skin crawl and my stomach churn in disgust.

On the tunnel walls are several huge pupa, covered in a sticky film-like substance and huge eggs are on the ceiling, with giant caterpillar-like creatures hatching from them. We also see several huge insects crawling through the nest. The insects look like huge flying cockroaches, but they have large stingers as well. Their mouths are two huge pincers and they have several eyes. Tora can sense my nervousness and he gently pats my shoulder. "Don't panic, Shizuka," he whispers.

"Do you see that?" Graphel asks me, pointing in a certain direction. I follow his finger and I see it. A small black pouch on the side… underneath a large pupa. "Okay, Tojo and I will go and attack the insects first," he says. "Once we destroy enough of the pupa and insects, just run and grab the item and throw the rocks." Right then, he raises an eyebrow. "Hey, are you okay?"

I shake my head. Already, I feel like crying. I can't help it, though. I'm so scared. "I'm… I'm scared," I whisper. "What if we don't make it?" I ask.

"We will make it," Tora reassures me. "Good luck." Right then, to my surprise, he gives me a small kiss on my forehead. "Let's do this now!"

I watch as Tora and Graphel charge into the nest, Graphel holding Medusa's mirror up and Tora blasting his blowtorch. The insects try to attack back but it's too late for them. Already more than a quarter of the insects and pupa have either turned to stone or been burned to a crisp.

Right then, I charge, trying to stay hidden from the insects. Every now and then, I glance towards them and see that they're viciously beating up the insects, but at the same time, they're receiving some of the worst of attacks. Already, the two of them are pretty beaten up from trying to defend themselves from the onslaught of insects. At this point, it's either life or death. And I choose life.

I rush towards the pouch and grab it quickly. However, I suddenly hear the sound of clicking pincers behind me. I turn and to my shock, one of the insects is standing before me. But this isn't any normal insect. This one is huge, even bigger than the rest! That's when it hits me. This is… This is the queen of the nest!

I'm too paralyzed to move, shaking in fear. I watch in horror as it menaces towards me, clicking and glaring at me, ready to carry me away and eat me alive. I try and back away but to no avail. More insects start to surround me. I feel the tears in my eyes. Dammit! Why can't I fight back and get over this stupid phobia?!

"Hey!" Suddenly, I see a wave of fire hitting the queen and several of the insects around me. They screech in pain before collapsing to the ground, twitching and writhing before finally dying. "You stay away from her, assholes!"

"Tora!" I cry out, the tears falling down my now dirt-streaked face. I watch as an injured Tora runs up to me, with an injured Graphel following him.

"Good, you've gotten it!" Graphel says urgently. "Now let's get out of here!"

We start running but the remaining insects start to chase us. As Graphel and Tora run out, I suddenly trip over a track and fall to the ground. "Tora!" I scream out.

"Shizuka!" he shouts. I turn around and to my horror, I see the menacing insects speeding towards me.

"Use the rocks! Now!" Graphel shouts.

I hastily reach into my pockets and bring out the rocks. I then throw it at the oncoming insects with all my might. They hit the insects and right then, a large ball of fire explodes from the rocks, sending me flying back and consuming the insects before blasting down the tunnel and destroying the remainder of the nest. I land on the ground again, hitting my head on the track.

"Shizuka!" Tora shouts out, concerned. "Shizuka!" I see his worried face over me and I can't help but feel my heart beating faster at that. He looks so cute when he's concerned.

Right then, I feel myself being lifted up. I smile slightly as I curl up further into Tora's strong and comforting arms. "Don't worry… we'll get your wounds healed up," I hear him tell me. And that's the last thing I hear before I slip into unconsciousness.


	9. Chapter 9

**Here's Chapter 9, filled with more Tojo x Shizuka fluff! Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Beelzebub belongs to Ryuuhei Tamura, not me.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 9- The Boy I've Always Known<strong>

_**(Shizuka's POV)**_

When I wake up, I find myself lying in a warm bed. I look around the room, noticing the familiarity of the room until I inhale the scent of the bed. It's a warm, soothing scent that's so… Tora! I bolt up in the bed, wincing in pain. I'm… I'm in Tora's bedroom!

"Good, you're awake." I turn to the corner and see the pink-haired preteen demon girl known as Lamia. "Your wounds were pretty nasty," she tells me. "That guy Tojo said that you hit your head, right?"

I nod. "Yeah," I say, my voice sounding hoarse. "Where's Tora?" I ask.

"He's resting up right now," she tells me. "Don't worry about him, he's doing fine." Right then, she picks up her first-aid box and turns to leave. "I just have to take care of Graphel-san's wounds now."

She leaves and the door closes, leaving me alone in the bedroom. I glance at the clock and see that it's already 10:30 at night. I look at myself in the nearby mirror. I see a small band-aid on my cheek and some bandages on my head. My arms, waist, and legs are also bandaged up and I feel sore all over. As I lie in the bed, I ponder over Tora and my feelings for him.

Tora and I have been friends since we were kids. In fact, even though he attends Ishiyama High School, the worst school in the country that's known for a 120% delinquency rate, and I attend St. Ishiyama Academy, one of the most prestigious schools that guarantees university acceptance, we've still managed to keep in touch. I smile as I remember the day when some of the Ishiyama delinquents came into the school after their school got destroyed. While a lot of them weren't so happy about delinquents coming, I was actually secretly excited to see Tora again.

He still hasn't changed much. He still loves to pick fights and get into intense brawls. However, I remember the little things about him that are still there. The way he always digs through a bag of candies to look for the apple-flavoured candies, his most favourite flavour. The way he always gives me his sweater or coat whenever I'm cold. The way he always stops by my house with a thermos of soup and some medicine whenever I'm not feeling well and just stays there and keeps me company. The way he always dresses up as Santa for my siblings during Christmas and drops over with some presents for them.

I feel my face heating up as I think about him. He may be extremely fierce, the strongest of the Tohoshinki, one of the most feared delinquents at Ishiyama. However, he's honestly like one big teddy bear when he's not fighting, and he's always so peaceful around me. Right then, I recall when he kissed my forehead in the subway tunnel, how he was so gentle in reassuring me. I smile as I realize it for myself. "I'm… in love…" I whisper. As I say that, I feel my heart beating faster and a smile crosses my face. "Yes… I'm in love! I'm in love with Tojo Hidetora!" I must tell him how I feel. He deserves to know.

Right then, the door opens and I see Tora enter the room. His forehead and cheeks have some bandages and his arms are bandaged as well. He's currently shirtless, with bandages all over his well-muscled chest and it makes my face heat up even further. "Shizuka…" he says softly. "How are you feeling?" he asks me.

I smile at him. "Better," I say. "What about you?"

"Nothing I'm not used to," he says, smiling slightly. "How's your head?"

"It doesn't hurt too much," I say. "Where's everyone else?"

"They all went home," he says. "After Graphel, you, and I left the tunnel with the next item, everyone was waiting for us. By then, it was 9:00 at night. Oga's wife decided that we should all hit the sack for the night and she said that you can show us the item tomorrow. However, that pink-haired girl, Lamia, she came over to my place to treat our wounds."

"What about the nest?" I ask. A fearful thought suddenly creeps into my mind. "What if we didn't destroy everything? What if there are eggs there and unhatched pupa? What if-" He gently presses his finger against my lips.

"Don't panic so much, Shizuka," he reassures me. "Graphel did another quick sweep of the tunnel. Everything's been obliterated." He suddenly pulls me close to him and my head leans against his bare chest. "Don't put yourself through that anymore, Shizuka. You did great."

"Tora…" I whisper. I look up into his eyes. "I… I like you…"

He looks at me in surprise. "Sh-Shizuka?" he asks, becoming nervous.

I smile softly. "I like you… I've always liked you, Tora," I confess. "Ever since we were kids, I've had a crush on you. You make me happy, Tora. You make me feel warm and safe." I lean up and give him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you… for everything."

Tora looks surprised for a moment but to my relief, he smiles at me. "I… I've always… liked you too… Shizuka…" he tells me. "I just never showed it because I was afraid."

"Afraid?" I ask.

"Afraid that you would laugh at me, or that even if we got together, you'd get hurt," he says. "I… I didn't want you to get hurt."

I chuckle at that. "I'm a member of the Six Holy Knights," I reassure him. "I'm capable of fighting back."

Suddenly, he lowers his head, a small blush on his face. "Shizuka… I just remembered something. Close your eyes." I do so and I hear him get up and the sounds of stuff being rearranged. I then feel the bed sinking down again. "You can open them now." He holds up a worn out, well-loved plush duck. "Remember this? This was yours but you gave it to me as a gift when I had to go to Osaka when we were both seven. You said it was so I could always remember you." He chuckles. "I… I forgot to give it back, though."

I stare at him in surprise. He still remembers that! Right then, a smile breaks out on my face. "Keep it," I tell him. "It's now yours." Right then, before I realize, I find myself moving closer to him. He doesn't move away though. He just stays still and slowly closes his eyes. Right then, I gently press my lips against his in a soft, sweet kiss.

Tora is hesitant at first, but I soon feel his strong, rough hands gently cupping my face as he kisses me back ever so gently. I wrap my arms around his neck, entangling my fingers in his soft red hair. We eventually pull away and I just lean into him and he holds me in his strong arms.

"How about you spend the night here?" he suggests, lying down on the bed. "Can you?"

I smile at him. "Of course." I lie down next to him and snuggle close to him. As I feel his warm arms wrapping around me, I find myself slowly falling asleep and soon, sleep takes over the both of us.


	10. Chapter 10

**This one is told in both Yumi's and Hecadoth's POVs. Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Beelzebub belongs to Ryuuhei Tamura, not me.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 10- Monster of Memories<strong>

_**(Yumi's POV)**_

"Man, washing out that smell gland last night was a real pain in the ass, you know!" Graphel says.

"I agree," Shizuka agrees. "It was so oily. It took at least five washes before I finally got it all out of my hair."

"I can't believe that we're ditching school to do these tasks," Takachin says.

Today's now Monday, and we've all decided to ditch school for this week so we can complete these tasks and save the children sooner. Right now, we've all decided to meet up at that posh hotel where Graphel, Naga, Yolda, Isabella, Satura, and Lord En are staying at.

"So, what was that item you retrieved yesterday?" Oga asks.

Shizuka brings out the pouch. In it is a golden telescope with intricate carvings on the cylinder. "A… telescope?" she asks, surprised.

Graphel picks up the letter. "'So, you've successfully destroyed the nest. You're probably wondering what the telescope is for, right? Well, for your next task, you have to go the park to retrieve your next item. There, you'll encounter the Monster of Memories. To kill him, shine the light from the telescope into his eyes. But be warned. He has his name for a reason. He will bring up some of your worst memories, memories that you've tried so hard to bury and forget about. He'll use the pain of those memories to his advantage and he will kill you.'"

"I'll do this one," Hecadoth volunteers.

"I want in on the action as well!" Yolda says.

"Me too," I add. "No matter what he tries to do, I won't give him access to my memories!"

"I'll help as well," Naga volunteers. "The Monster of Memories is again, a lower-class demon, but he's one of the stronger ones." He takes the telescope from Shizuka and the three of us start walking to the park.

"I must warn you three," Naga cautions as we walk towards the park. "Be careful not to show any emotion on your face or even think about anything in your past when facing him. The monster will use your emotions and memories to his advantage by bringing up the most painful ones."

Hecadoth nods. "Of course," he says. "What's our strategy?"

"When we confront the monster, I'll weaken it with my Water Ash Flow: Snake Dragon Palm," Naga explains. "Yolda, while it's distracted, run and retrieve the item. Then, I want you to give the signal to Yumi-san, who'll shine the telescope into its eyes. While it's distracted, Hecadoth will deliver the final blow."

We nod in confirmation. "Got it," I say. As I say that, we arrive at the park, which is surprisingly empty. Right then, we see it. The small pouch, up in a tree branch. "There it is!" I say.

"Well, well." We turn to find the source of the voice. To our shock, we see a demon with the appearance of a tall, handsome young man with long blonde hair. He wears a neat black tuxedo and he has an air of importance, like a businessman. However, his eyes are completely onyx and cruel.

"You're the Monster of Memories?" I ask, surprised.

"Don't be fooled by appearances," Hecadoth warns me. "This guy's dangerous. This is the Monster of Memories."

The monster smirks. "Pillar General Hecadoth, the Eighth Pillar General, and Pillar Baron Naga," he observes. "I get to fight against two Pillar demons. How wonderful." He glances disdainfully at me. "And a Konketsuji girl. A girl like you doesn't deserve to be among such important demons."

"Shut up," I say, trying to sound emotionless. "Don't underestimate what I'm capable of."

To my surprise, he continues to smirk. "That's right," he agrees. "I shouldn't underestimate your capacity. After all, you did unleash your inner demon and severely injure your former classmates to the point they had to be hospitalized."

I falter in surprise and he smirks. "How about we show the Pillar General and Pillar Baron just what you're capable of?" he suggests.

"No… stay away from me!" I shout but he just calmly touches my forehead with his index finger. Right then, I feel the surroundings changing and shifting as Hecadoth, Yolda, and Naga shout my name.

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><p><em><strong>(Hecadoth's POV)<strong>_

Suddenly, the park disappears and instead, we're standing in a schoolyard. Naga, Yolda, and I look around in confusion. "What is this place?" Naga asks.

"Another Human World high school," I say, recognizing the atmosphere of the area.

"Why are none of the students in uniforms?" Yolda asks.

Right then, Yumi gasps in shock. "This… This is my previous high school in Edmonton!" she exclaims. When I pay closer attention to the groups, I realize that they're all conversing in various languages. I hear people speaking in English, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Hindi to name a few.

Right then, I see Yumi in the memory. She's hanging out with some girls, just laughing and talking happily with them, all of them conversing in English. "What's happening?" I ask her.

She shakes her head. "This is the day I was expelled!" she says.

We all watch as the memory plays out.

"So, how far are you on your history project?" Yumi asks her friends.

"I'm nearly done!" one of them says.

"I'm halfway there," another says.

"Three-quarters done," a third one adds.

"I'm done!" Yumi declares.

"I've barely started," another girl laughs.

Right then, we hear cries of pain from the courtyard. We turn and see a girl getting kicked and hit by a group of girls in some expensive clothing, their faces covered in makeup. "Leave me alone! Please!" she pleads, only to get slapped in the face by the ringleader.

"Who are they?" Naga asks.

Yumi frowns. "The Populars," she says with venom in her voice. "The bitches of the school who spend their daddies' money on whatever they want and act like they're the best thing in the world."

"Shut up, you little bitch!" the ringleader snarls. "Because of you, Jessica's getting expelled!"

"Yeah, it's all your fault!" the second girl adds snidely. "It's all your fault that I'm getting expelled from the school! You ratted me out!"

"Everyone knows it," another taunts.

"Because of you, my life is ruined!" the second girl snarls. "How am I supposed to go to university now, huh?!"

"I didn't do it!" the innocent girl insists. "I swear I didn't!"

"Hey!" We see Yumi call over to the girls, glaring at them. "Leave her alone."

One of the girls glares at her. "Stay out of this!" she snaps at her.

Yumi ignores her and walks over to the girl. "You okay?" she asks, extending her hand.

The girl smiles and takes her hand as she helps her up. "Yeah," she says. "Thanks, Yumi."

As she runs off, Yumi turns to the girls and glares at them. "Will you quit your bullshit?" she chides harshly. "Number one, Chandra didn't report you, Jessica. Someone else did. And number two, even if she did report you, you deserved it. We all know that you were caught with a cellphone during midterm exams and you had the answers on your phone! You were cheating, and now you're being punished for it. So grow up and get over yourselves!" She turns and start to walk away. "The world ain't gonna cater to your every damn whim, you know?"

I shake my head. It's quite clear that those girls are the type that spend their parents' hard-earned money on everything, and relying on their parents to bail them out of trouble. Nothing but spoiled brats. "Those girls are pathetic," I scoff. "Blaming their irresponsibility on others? Che!"

"You got expelled for slapping those girls with reality?" Naga asks. "Well, then the teachers here are pretty pathetic."

"No," she says. "Just wait and you'll find out why I was expelled."

Right then, the ringleader sneers at her retreating figure. "Hey Yumi! Didn't your mommy ever tell you to stick your nose out of other people's business? Oops, I forgot! You don't have one!" she mocks.

At this, my eyes widen in shock, Yolda's mouth drops open in astonishment, and Naga looks stunned. People make fun of other people's deceased parents in the Human World? In Makai, that's actually considered an offense punishable by public humiliation!

Yumi stops in shock before turning to face the girls, appalled and angered. "What… What did you just say?" she asks, her voice coming out as a whisper.

"You heard her," another girl taunts, smirking. "Your mom never loved you! She left you because you're a freak!"

"Yeah! Your mom couldn't stand you so she left your family!" another chimes in. "Even your dad hates you, Yumi! No one loves you, and no one ever will! Just accept that fact!"

"Don't you dare say another word about my mom!" Yumi snarls, glaring at them. "If you make me mad for real, I'll show you the pits of hell!" she threatens.

"Ooh, we're so scared!" the last girl taunts. "What're you gonna do? Cry and drown us with your tears?"

At that, Yumi glares at them, her eyes burning with anger. "How dare you..." she snarls. "Don't you have any shame, any pride, any dignity? Or are you simply trashy? You bully others, force them to respect you, tear them apart emotionally and mentally, all while you spend money on expensive clothes and tear apart happy couples in this school! And then you go and mock deceased relatives of others?! You should be ashamed!" She glares defiantly at them. "If you want respect from others, then get your act together, start using your brain, and smarten up."

As we watch her walk away, I can't help but smile. That's what I really love about Yumi. How she's so strong, down-to-earth, and fiery, yet at the same time, she's kind, maternal, and mature.

"You preach it, Yumi!" Yolda praises.

Naga smiles slightly. "I can see why you fell for her, Hecadoth. She can be pretty feisty," he tells me.

Before I can say anything, however, we suddenly see the ringleader grab Yumi's arm, twist her around, and slap her in the face, much to our shock.

"You take that back, you little bitch!" she snarls.

Yumi merely touches her slightly red cheek and glares defiantly at her. "No," she says. However, she's slapped across the face again and she lets out a small grunt of pain.

"I said take it back!" the ringleader growls.

"And I said no." However, she's suddenly pushed to the ground and repeatedly kicked. At this point, I feel like running those girls with my spear. They want to see the pits of hell? Oh, I could show it to them.

The ringleader walks up to her, sneering down at her. "That wasn't very nice, Yumi," she drawls, picking up a photo of Yumi's mother that fell on the ground. "Listen here. This school isn't meant for ugly bitches like you. So do us a favour and go back to Japan with your mechanic dad!" Right then, she tears the photo into shreds while Yumi can only watch on in horror. As the shreds fall to the ground, the girls walk away, laughing cruelly.

"Those little…" Yolda seethes.

"Human World bullies can be pretty cruel, actually," Naga comments. "But mocking her deceased mother? How disgraceful!"

"Yumi!" We watch as her friends run over to her. "Yumi, are you okay?" one of them asks in concern.

"Let's take you to the nurse's office!" another one says.

"They've gone too far this time," another growls.

"Come on, Yumi," another girl says. "I've recorded the incident on my phone. Let's go to the principal and show it- Yumi…?" she suddenly trails off as Yumi stands up.

"You're right, Rachel," Yumi says, her voice low. "They went too far."

"Y-Yumi?" one of her friends asks, looking confused. She turns and faces them.

"What do you say about a little justice being served?" she asked.

Right then, I sense it. Her demonic power is rising rapidly in the memory. However, no powers surround her just yet. "You have some nerve, you know?" she calls to the group of bratty girls, speaking in Japanese. "Mocking my dead mother, slapping me across the face, kicking me to the ground, and tearing my mother's photo? You're even more trashy than I thought."

The group of bratty girls stop and turn around, giving her an annoyed look. "Speak English, we don't understand Japanese!" one of them taunts.

"You don't understand?" Yumi asks in English. "Well then, how about this?" Suddenly, the demonic aura surrounds her, shocking her friends and other students, as well as the bratty girls. "You take that back..." she growls, her voice low with rage.

To my pleasure, their smug smirks disappear and are replaced with surprise and fear. "Yu-Yumi…?" the ringleader asks, her voice trembling. "Wh-What the hell?! It was just a joke! Can't you take a joke?!"

Yumi lifts her head up and that's when I see it. Her dark amber eyes flash with pure, unadulterated rage and Naga, Yolda, and I instantly recognize that look of rage. Almost every demon has that and it comes out when they're truly angry. I realize it right then. Her inner demon has taken control of her.

"A joke?" she growls out. An almost sadistic grin crosses her face. "Well then…" Yumi suddenly charges towards the ringleader and grabs her face before violently slamming her into the ground with enough force to break some of her bones. "I didn't find it funny!" she roars as she does that.

By now, all the other students are watching in shock and horror as the scene unfolds before them. The rest of the group of girls try to step back, fear on their faces. However, Yumi glares at them with pure hatred. "None of you are going anywhere!"

With that last sentence, the memory ends.

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><p><em><strong>(Yumi's POV)<strong>_

I stare at the Monster of Memories in shock. He smirks as he removes his finger from my forehead, the memory fading away as we're now in the park. The monster smirks at me. "See what you're capable of now?" he asks. "Nearly killing those who make fun of your deceased mother."

"Yumi! Don't listen to him!" Hecadoth shouts. "He'll kill you once you're riled up!"

"Go on, Tanaka Yumi," the monster tells me, smirking. "Why don't you unleash your inner demon again? You know you want to."

I look up at him, a small smirk on my face. "Sorry, but I can't unleash my inner demon," I say. "She's been tamed." I glance back at Naga. "Now!"

Naga gets into his stance. "Water Ash Flow… Snake Dragon Palm!" he shouts, sending a blast at him. As Naga does so, Yolda runs past him and grabs the pouch from the tree branch.

"Yumi-san! Now!" she calls.

"Yeah!" I take out the telescope and aim the objective lens towards the light. Sunlight streams through the lens and past the eyepiece, shining directly into his eyes. The monster howls in pain as he covers his eyes. Hecadoth uses this opportunity to stab the monster through the stomach with his spear, causing it to dissolve into nothing.

Naga stares stoically at the spot where the Monster of Memories once was. "Let's go back to the others," he says. Yolda holds onto the pouch as we start walking back.

"I'm so sorry you went through all that, Yumi," Hecadoth apologizes.

"What are you talking about?" I ask, slightly confused at first.

"At your previous school," he adds.

"Oh. Right," I realize. I smile at him. "I'm fine, though. Those bitches are in the past now."

"Believe me, I honestly felt like impaling them," he says. "Why the hell are they considered 'popular'? They're stuck-up, arrogant, spoiled, immature, and bratty. I mean, making fun of your dead mother? That's horrible!"

"In Makai, making fun of a person's dead relative is punishable by public humiliation," Naga comments. "There's a difference between remembering the humorous moments of a deceased relative versus mocking them posthumously."

"You completed the task, I see," Hilda says when the four of us come back. "What's the item?"

Yolda pulls out a fairly large ball of silver string from the pouch.

"A ball of string?" Oga asks.

"'Wondering what the ball of string is for?'" Yolda reads the letter. "'It's just like in Greek mythology, with the story of Theseus and the Minotaur. Go to the park. There, you will find a large, even more complex labyrinth. In there is the next item. Use the string to create a path when you enter the labyrinth. This string is magic, so it will stop extending once you reach the center of the labyrinth. But be warned. In the labyrinth is a deadly monster, known as the Minotaur, a half-man, half-bull monster. Be careful you don't run into him, or you'll get killed and devoured.'"

"I'll do this one," Hilda says, raising her hand.

"Me too," Oga volunteers. "Hilda and I haven't done any of the tasks yet."

"I'm doin' this one as well!" Kanzaki adds.

"And so am I!" Nene chimes in.

"Me too!" Lord En adds.

"Very well," Naga says. "Be careful though. Especially you, Lord En-sama. The Minotaur is one of the deadliest monsters to ever exist in Makai."

"Of course," Oga says. "I won't let that thing eat us!"


	11. Chapter 11

**My favourite side story? Well, Devlin Dracul, I also like the Tojo and Shizuka side story. I love how they have such a cute little friendship! :) Anyways, here's Chapter 11! Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Beelzebub belongs to Ryuuhei Tamura, not me.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 11- Minotaur<strong>

_**(Hilda's POV)**_

Tatsumi, Kanzaki, Nene, Lord En-sama, and I arrive at the labyrinth in the park with the ball of string. At the entrance, we see a small post where we can tie the string. I tie the string on the post and give the ball to Kanzaki. "You be in charge of the string," I tell him. "If I see the Minotaur, I'll kill it."

"Sure." We enter the labyrinth, the string trailing behind us. It feels strange without the Young Master with us. In fact, I've come to start viewing him almost as if he's my own son with the way Tatsumi has been taking care of him.

"Make sure to be quiet," I say to them, my voice becoming softer. "The Minotaur is most likely sleeping in the center of the labyrinth. We shouldn't wake it up by making unnecessary noises. It'll be very angered if it is."

Tatsumi chuckles. "Don't worry, Hilda," he reassures me. "I've seen enough slasher movies like this, so I know what to do. Don't do what the stupid teens in the slasher movies do."

Nene laughs softly. "Yeah. Basic survival skills: don't listen to slasher flicks," she says.

At that, I can't help but chuckle. Human World slasher films are absolutely stupid. I remember watching a bit of it after hearing Tatsumi and his sister Misaki yelling at the TV. That was probably the closest I've ever seen them together. It was actually pretty amusing to watch Tatsumi and Misaki scolding two hormonal teenagers in the movie, as well as yelling at every character to run away from the suspicious noise rather than going towards it.

I smile softly to myself as I remember a rather sweet moment between Tatsumi and the Young Master. Tatsumi was outside, shooting a ball into a netted hoop (I later learned that he was playing basketball). The Young Master wanted to join him so Tatsumi helped him by lifting him up and allowing him to drop the ball into the net. The Young Master had a lot of fun and it was a rather endearing sight to see.

At the thought of the Young Master, I can't help but feel rather worried. I truly hope that he's safe right now. I hope he isn't too scared. However, I can't help but feel anger towards myself for failing to protect him. Tatsumi and I both tried, but we failed.

As if sensing my nervousness, Tatsumi gently places his hand on my shoulder. "Worried about Baby Beel?" he asks gently.

"I failed my duty as a maidservant of the royal family," I tell him sadly. "My duty as the maidservant of the youngest prince is to protect him, even if it costs me my life. I let him get abducted by that filthy lower-class demon!"

"Oi, Hilda," he says. "Stop blaming yourself. It's not your fault. The only thing we can do is to get him back safely." He smiles slightly. "Besides, Baby Beel's a brave guy. He knows we'll come and save him."

Kanzaki nods. "He's right, Oga's wifey," he tells me. "Even though I blame myself for Futaba's disappearance, I can only help get her back."

"Kaede's a strong girl," Nene says. "She won't give in so easily. If anything, though, if she ever gets hurt, I won't hesitate to kill them at all."

"We're all working together to save these children, Hilda," Tatsumi reassures me. "Don't worry." He kisses my forehead gently.

"Thank you, Tatsumi," I thank him. Honestly, he's been the one that's helping me keep control of myself. Everytime I feel like crying out of guilt, he just holds me and consoles me.

"So, how dangerous is this Minotaur guy?" Kanzaki asks.

"Very dangerous," I say. "Half-man, half-bull, he feeds on the flesh of humans. In the ancient times, he was enclosed in a labyrinth so that he wouldn't go on a rampage, but every seven years, seven young men and seven young women would be sent as sacrifices for him." We're fairly far into the labyrinth, the string leaving a trail behind us.

Nene shivers slightly. "I've always hated labyrinths and mazes," she confesses. "I remember when I was a kid, I got lost in one in a theme park and I couldn't find my way out. I started crying and the staff had to come find me and help me out of the maze."

A bead of sweat rolls down Kanzaki's forehead. "Then… why the hell did you do this one if you're so scared of labyrinths and mazes?" he asks.

"It's like what Shizuka did," Nene explains. "Even though she's claustrophobic and entomophobic, she still did her challenge so she can get over her fear."

"So, where do you think the Minotaur is?" Tatsumi asks.

"Most likely sleeping, but he could be awake and looking for us," I respond. "Although, we would've heard him if he were following us."

"How much longer?" Lord En-sama asks. "My feet are starting to get sore…"

Right then, we finally reach the center of the labyrinth. In the center is a pedestal with a fairly large pouch atop it. "There it is!" Nene exclaims.

"All right!" Tatsumi cheers, as we run into the center. He snatches it right off the pedestal. "We got it!"

I raise an eyebrow. "Something doesn't feel right…" I murmur. "This was too easy."

"Hilda, is something wrong?" Lord En-sama asks.

Suddenly, we hear it. The sound of a bovine snorting and low growls coming from one of the entrances into the center of the labyrinth. "Wh-What is that…?" Nene asks, shaking in fear.

"Whatever it is, it doesn't sound human…" Kanzaki says.

Right then, we see a creature slowly stepping out of the shadows and our eyes widen in shock. The creature has the body of a huge, bulky man wearing a brown loincloth, but there seems to be fur on his body. However, instead of feet, he has huge hooves capable of crushing the bones in a person's foot. When he finally comes into the glow of the torches, that's when we're all truly shocked. His head is the head of a bull with a nose ring, vicious glowing yellow eyes, and large sharp horns. In his hands is a large battle axe and he glares at us, snorting savagely.

"Oh my gosh…" Nene trails off.

"The Minotaur," I say. I pull out my sword. "Let's make a run for it."

Right then, the Minotaur charges at us, bellowing in anger as he raises his axe up. We hastily run out of the center back into the labyrinth, barely making it. "Run faster!" I shout desperately.

"How can we outrun this thing?!" Nene shouts. "It's clearly fast, if not faster than us!"

"Even worse, the string's gone!" Lord En-sama adds fearfully.

"Huh?!" Kanzaki shouts. "I thought it was still there!"

"Great! Now which way do we go, dammit?!" Tatsumi shouts.

I stop running and turn to face the Minotaur. "Looks like I'll have to create an exit for us!" I shout. Willing my demon powers around me, I send several tendrils towards him, coiling around him. Using all my strength, I hurl him into the walls of the labyrinth, causing him to crash and break through each one until we can see the outside.

The Minotaur gets up, clearly angered by my attack. He glares viciously at me, raising his axe and roaring in rage. He charges towards me but I simply charge towards him, holding my sword out. Right then, I thrust the sword through his stomach, causing him to let out a loud howl of pain as I twist my blade and remove it from his stomach.

"Whoa…" Lord En-sama gasps.

"Let's get out of here," I say. "Tatsumi! Do you have the item?"

"Yeah, I do!" he calls back.

"Oh wow, it's already 10:45!" Nene exclaims as we walk back to the group.

"Let's call it a day, Hilda," Tatsumi suggests. "Get some rest for tomorrow."

I nod. "Very well then," I say. "I think we should all get some sleep. Today was a long day."


	12. Chapter 12

**Here's Chapter 12! This chapter is rather dark, so be warned. I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Beelzebub belongs to Ryuuhei Tamura, not me.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 12- Possession of the Tactician<strong>

_**(Yumi's POV)**_

Today, we're all meeting at the shrine where Kunieda lives for the next task. Fortunately, there's no one in the shrine right now. "So, what was the item retrieved?" Yolda asks.

Oga looks in the pouch. "There's two things in here," he says. "A dagger…" he says, pulling out a slim, sharp dagger from the pouch. "And then there's a tiny bottle in here." He pulls out a small clear glass bottle the size of a nail polish bottle filled with a gold serum, sealed with a small cork. "What is that?"

"That's called a Jadu Elixir," Lamia explains. "It was commonly used in the ancient times by various demon tribes. This was often used for exorcisms and healing and other shamanic rituals. We should keep it. It could be useful."

"'How was the labyrinth?'" Hilda reads the letter. "'Anyways, for your next task, you need to recover the next item from under the bridge. Take the dagger with you. You'll need it to destroy the malevolent, vengeful spirit that guards it. Her name is Medea the Sorceress. Beware. She's absolutely cunning and clever. She will use vulnerable people with strong, pent-up emotions to her advantage, so do not fall under her spell.'"

I raise an eyebrow. "Is it me, or are these letters starting to become more ambiguous?" I ask.

"Well, who'll carry out the task?" Hilda asks.

"I will," Takachin suddenly says. "I'll go by myself."

Hilda scoffs in disbelief. "You? Don't be stupid. You're not strong enough to do this on your own," she tells him. "At least have one of the Pillar demons with you while you carry out the task."

"No, let me go with you, Furuichi," Oga tells him.

Takachin just frowns. "Don't underestimate what I'm capable of," he scolds. "Why can't I?"

"I'm telling you, you're not strong enough!" Hilda argues.

Right then, to our surprise, Takachin lets out a cold, bitter, sarcastic laugh. "Oh? That's why? I'm too weak?" he asks, his voice becoming bitter. "Well then, let me prove that I'm not weak!" He takes the dagger from Hilda and starts to walk to the door.

"Furuichi…" Oga threatens. "Let me come or I'll kick your ass."

Takachin simply opens the door, ignoring Oga. "I intend to do this task myself," he deadpans. "If you want to beat me, then go ahead."

The door slams shut and we all look at each other in surprise. Oga glares at the door. "So he really wants a beatdown, huh?" he snarls. "Well, I'll give him one when he gets back!"

"What's his problem?" Kanzaki asks.

"He's been acting like this for a while now," Nene comments. "But why?"

"Usually, he's very cheerful and friendly," Kunieda adds. "Now, he's become more withdrawn and quiet, and the only time I actually see him being happy is with Agiel or Hecadoth."

"When I tried getting him to come over and play video games, he said he was busy," Oga says. Right then, he glares at Hecadoth and Agiel. "You two… you two are planning something and you've brainwashed Furuichi, right?!"

Hecadoth glares at Oga. "Oi, oi, contract holder," he retorts. "Don't start jumping to conclusions so quickly. We never did anything."

"Yeah!" Agiel agrees. "We're also concerned about him!"

"Well he's started ditching us in favour of hanging out with the Pillar demons!" Lamia snaps at Hecadoth and Agiel.

"Well, maybe he prefers our company over yours!" Graphel snaps. "So stop accusing us of things we didn't do!"

"So you are trying to destroy our friendship!" Oga shouts.

Suddenly, Hecadoth stands up, glaring at Oga. "Don't put words into our mouth, contract holder," he scolds. "We're not trying to destroy your friendship with Furuichi or anything like that, okay?!"

"Guys, that's enough!" I shout, ending all arguments. I take a deep breath and look around. "Debating on this isn't going to resolve anything, okay? We'll find out by asking him questions when he gets back."

"She's right," Shizuka agrees. "We won't accomplish anything by arguing like this."

I decide to step outside for a bit when Hecadoth follows me. "What're you doing?" he asks me.

"Just stepping outside for a bit," I say. "Want to join me?"

"Why not?" he says. "Is something wrong, Yumi?"

I nod. "You know why Takachin is acting strange?" I ask. "I could see it in his eyes before he left. They looked upset and tired, like he was tired of being called weak." I lower my eyes sadly. "Those are the eyes of a social outcast. I know because I used to be like him before."

Hecadoth nods. "I remember," he says. "From that memory when you violently beat up those girls. Even though you had a few friends, you seemed to be rather… lonely. Even while you beat up those girls, your eyes had a very slight trace of sadness and vulnerability."

"It sucks," I say. "It sucks when you get along well with some people, but you know that they don't see you as one of their own. That's how Takachin is feeling now." I glance back towards the group in the main room. "Even though he gets along pretty well with these people, he doesn't feel accepted by them."

"That's what I went through after my father's death," Hecadoth tells me. "After I was promoted to Pillar General and took my father's place as one of Naga's subordinates alongside Graphel, I felt out of place for a while. I was respected by both Pillar Generals and Pillar Barons because I had taken a stab meant for Jabberwock. However, despite that, I didn't feel like I belonged, so I did the first thing I could think of. I shut them out. It worked for a while, but I ended up feeling even more like an outsider. Graphel finally came up to me one day and told me that if I was trying to mourn my father, then I was doing it wrong. He told me to move on and open up more."

"What happened after that?" I ask.

Hecadoth smiles ruefully. "It was difficult at first, but after a while, I was able get along with the others," he says.

"Hey, Furuichi's back!" We hear Lord En say.

The two of us leave the kitchen to see him. He seems okay, but his head is lowered and his bangs cover his eyes. In his hands is the pouch with the next item.

"Well, that was fast!" Tojo praises.

Hilda holds out her hand. "Give it here, Furuichi," she says. Takachin wordlessly places the pouch on her hand. However, he doesn't let go. Hilda notices this and raises an eyebrow. "You can let go now."

To our surprise, he remains still.

Hilda glares at him. "Listen here, Creepichi!" she scolds harshly. "If I have to cut off your hand to make you let go, I will, so don't test my patience! Let go of it now!"

Right then, to our shock, Hilda is forcefully thrown back by Takachin, but Oga manages to catch her. "Hilda!" he shouts. He glares at Takachin. "What's your problem, dumbass?! What the hell was that for?!"

Suddenly, an evil smirk crosses Takachin's face. "Well well, look what we have here." When he speaks, we all stare at each other in shock. His voice sounds like it's tripled and it sounds dark and sinister!

Agiel stares in shock before her eyes narrow in anger. "You're not Furuichi!" she snarls.

Takachin lifts his head up and right then, we see it. His eyes are glazed and glinting evilly, something that Takachin would never do. "What are you talking about? It is me, your dear companion." He glances at Oga. "So, Oga Tatsumi… it's nice to see you again."

"Shut up!" Oga snarls. "What the hell's wrong with you, Furuichi?! What happened?!"

Takachin sneers. "Hm? What happened? Oh, I simply retrieved the next item," he responds in a mocking, condescending tone. "But your girlfriend just lost her cool when I wouldn't let go of it." The sneer turns into a dark glare. "Just like you do. Just like all of you do!" His voice becomes a shout.

"What the hell?!" Lamia demands. "Snap out of it, Furuichi!"

"No. I'm tired of it," Takachin snarls. "I've had it with all of you. Being your punching bag whenever you have a bad day, being labelled a pervert and lolicon, I'm tired of being used by you! I'm behind nearly every victory, but what do I get in return?! Nothing! Not even a single 'thank you'!"

We can only watch on in horror as Takachin continues to list every way he's been wronged. "Why can't I be treated like I'm one of you?! Why can't I be treated with some respect?! Is it because I'm different?! Am I too creepy?! Well, it doesn't matter anyways. It's clear I don't mean much to you." A sadistic grin crosses his face. "I think I should teach you all a lesson about appreciating someone before they're gone."

Suddenly, to our shock, he pulls out the dagger from his pocket and holds it to his throat. "Furuichi!" Agiel cries out in shock.

"This isn't you, Furuichi," Hecadoth tries to convince him. "Put the dagger down. We can talk about this."

A sardonic laugh escapes from Takachin. "How ironic," he drawls. "Suddenly, everyone's becoming worried and scared when I'm about to die. Well, it's too late. You should've learned to appreciate me more, especially you, Oga." He sneers. "I hope I haunt you with guilt. I hope I leave you wishing you never treated me like shit!" The dagger moves closer to his throat.

Right then, something in his eyes changes. His eyes regain their humanity and they widen in shock. "N-No… st-stop this… please…" Takachin pleads suddenly, his voice sounding normal.

"Fu-Furuichi?" Kunieda asks, stunned.

"S-Someone… save me…" Takachin pleads helplessly, much to our shock. Suddenly, the humanity in his eyes fades away and the evil glare comes back.

"Foolish boy!" Takachin suddenly shouts in the same evil voice. "Don't tell me you don't want this! I read your mind already and you have considered this before! You were just too much of a coward to act upon it!"

"No…" Takachin's real voice comes back. "Killing myself… isn't the answer…" He looks at us helplessly, tears falling from his eyes. "Someone… help me… please!"

Right then, it clicks. He's being possessed! "Guys!" I whisper to the Pillar demons and the maidservants. "Takachin, he's possessed! That's why he keeps on going back and forth like this!"

Hecadoth looks stunned at this. Right then, an idea comes to him. "I have a plan," he says. "I'll knock him out. Lamia, you pour the Jadu Elixir into his mouth and exorcise the demon from him."

Lamia nods. We turn back to face the possessed Takachin. "Farewell, humans," he taunts. However, before the dagger can even meet his throat, Hecadoth uses his powers to deliver a blow on Takachin's head, hard enough to knock him out.

"Sorry about this, lieutenant," he apologizes. "Lamia, now!"

"On it!" She takes out the small bottle and pours the elixir into his open mouth.

Suddenly, his body starts to jerk violently and an agonizing howl of pain escapes his mouth. I watch with sadness as he continues jerking around, wide-eyed. Right then, to our shock, a stream of demonic energy escapes from his mouth, causing him to pass out when he's done.

Right then, the demonic energy materializes into a seductive-looking woman with long black hair, evil onyx eyes, and a strapless red dress that hugs every curve on her body. "Oh, so it looks like I was found out," the woman simply comments.

"You little bitch!" Hecadoth snarls.

Naga glares at the woman. "That's enough of your antics… Medea," he scolds.

My eyes widen in shock. "So, wait…" I trail off. "This is Medea the Sorceress?!"

"That's right, girly!" she declares. "And man, the boy who came to do this task was a really vulnerable person! In fact, he had a lot of pent-up emotions when he picked up the item and that gave me the opportunity to possess him!"

"You possessed him and tried to make him kill himself?!" Agiel snarls.

"You really are a bitch!" Nene shouts.

Medea glares at us. "This human boy and I are actually similar in our own way," she says. "I was rejected by the man I loved when he left me for some whore! However, he is rejected by his own friends when he tries hard to become closer to them!"

"How dare you…" Hecadoth seethes. "You dare say that Furuichi and you are similar?! At least Furuichi isn't a coward, unlike you! Possessing other people and trying to murder them… no, that's something only you can do."

"Well, it's too bad that my host body rejected me," Medea shrugs casually. Tendrils of demonic energy surround her hands as she grins sinisterly. "Well then, it looks like I'll-" Her eyes widen in shock as blood spills from her mouth.

"No. You won't do anything like that," Hilda says sternly, holding the handle of the dagger that's been plunged into her back. "That's enough of your nonsense."

"You… little…" Medea chokes out as she collapses, blood spilling from her wound.

"And this task has been completed," Hilda says as her corpse dissolves. "We've destroyed her spirit."

"How's Furuichi doing?" Agiel asks Lamia.

"He's fine," Lamia replies. "He just needs to rest right now."

"Something's kind of disturbing me right now," Agiel says worriedly. "When Furuichi was possessed, Medea told him that he had considered… ending his own life before. I… I never even knew…"

"That shocked me as well," Hecadoth admits. "Although, when I saw him struggling against Medea, I don't think I've ever seen so much sadness, helplessness, and vulnerability."

"Why didn't he say something?" Oga demands.

"He was afraid," Hecadoth says, sounding upset and slightly angry. "He didn't say something because he was afraid. Afraid of being treated like dirt again."

"So that's why he kept on pushing us away…" Kunieda realizes.

"Furuichi was tired of putting on the mask of pretending not to be hurt," Agiel continues. "You know that one day when all the girls yelled at him when they found out that he and I were dating?" She looks down sadly. "He was crying when I found him at the bridge. He's slowly breaking down, but he doesn't want anyone to notice. All of you, even you, Oga… you've all treated him like shit even though he's done a lot."

Oga looks stunned. "I… I had no idea…"

"I think we all owe him an apology," Hilda agrees, looking down guiltily. "He deserves an apology."

"Let's go and apologize to him now," Kanzaki suggests.


	13. Chapter 13

**Here's Chapter 13! This is a continuation from Chapter 12, so enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Beelzebub belongs to Ryuuhei Tamura, not me.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 13- You'll Always Be One of Us<strong>

We walk over to the couch where Takachin is currently sleeping, a blanket covering his figure and an ice pack on his forehead. Right then, his eyes slowly open as he wakes up, pressing his forehead and wincing in surprise when he feels the ice pack on his head. He turns to meet our eyes right then. "H-Hey guys…" he greets hoarsely, a weak smile on his face.

"How are you feeling, Furuichi?" Agiel asks gently. She slowly lifts his head up so she can sit down and she rests his head in her lap.

"Tired," he mumbles. "Like my insides have been microwaved and then frozen."

"You really scared us, you know?" Naga tells him.

Takachin raises an eyebrow. "Wait… what happened?" he asks.

"You were possessed by that witch Medea," Isabella explains. "She nearly made you kill yourself. But thanks to Hecadoth and Lamia, she was exorcised from you."

Takachin nods. "It's… It's all coming back to me…" he murmurs. His eyes widen in shock right then. "Wait… she… she nearly made me kill myself!"

"She also said that you had considered killing yourself before," Nene adds sadly.

"What?!" he nearly shouts. "That's… That's not true! She made that up!" he tries to deny.

"There's no need to deny it anymore," Kunieda tells him. "We all heard it. So stop putting on that mask."

Takachin just looks down sadly. "You don't understand…" he mumbles.

"Yes. We don't understand," Oga suddenly snaps in a clipped, harsh voice. "Why the hell didn't you tell us sooner?!"

Takachin glares up at Oga. "Well, try putting yourself in my shoes for once and you'll understand!" he retorts. "Telling you about what I go through isn't so easy! Does that mean I refuse to consider it? No, it means that I've already considered it but I'm too scared!"

He sits up slowly. "I… I'm scared to tell anyone about what I go through, because I might just get laughed at and accused of being a pervert," he starts. "I put on the mask because it's easier to just put up with all the insults and pretend it doesn't hurt rather than standing up for myself and risk getting beaten."

"Do you have any idea how much it hurts?" Takachin asks. "Being called Creepichi, lolicon, Mobichi, pedophile, and just laughing it off… just how different is that from being dead?" Suddenly, we see a tear fall down his cheek and a soft sob escapes his lips. He wipes his eyes and covers his mouth, trying to compose himself but failing as more tears fall down his face.

"When Hecadoth and Agiel first came to Ishiyama, I hung out a lot with them to help them get used to the city," he continues through choked sobs. "However… I noticed that they treated me differently. Like, they respected me, enjoyed my company, valued me… hell, Hecadoth says I'm almost like a brother to him now! Even Yumi treats me like I'm her little brother! And Agiel… she's one of the few girls who treats me nicely, who genuinely likes me!"

"Furuichi…" Oga says softly.

Agiel wraps her arms around Takachin in a comforting hug as he continues to talk. "Before high school, we used to be close, Oga. Things are different now. You're now popular, you get along with all the delinquents, you have a girlfriend! As for me, before Hecadoth and Agiel came here, I just became friendless, and my love life went down the drain along with my reputation!" He suddenly breaks into tears, all his pent-up emotions now pouring out. We all look at him sadly as he starts to cry.

"But… why'd you push me away so much?" Oga asks.

"You have Hilda to rely on now! You don't need me anymore!" Takachin sobs. "I don't see why I'm needed! I'm just… useless!" He wipes away a few more tears. "No matter how hard I try, people take one look at me and assume that I'm a good-for-nothing delinquent and a pervert! I pushed you all away because after spending time with various Pillar demons, I saw the difference between how they treated me and how you guys treated me! The Pillar demons genuinely like me, they enjoy my company, and I feel like I can be myself with them without being judged, but with you, I always have to put on a mask to hide my true feelings every time I'm scorned or mocked, and it's hard! I'm slowly falling apart from constantly suppressing my emotions! I can't live like that! I'll go mad!" He buries his face into his hands. "Why can't I be seen as one of you? Why?" His voice trails off into a whisper.

"Furuichi…" Hilda starts, her voice gentle. "To start off, we all owe you an apology."

Takachin looks stunned at that. "An… apology…?"

"Yes," Hilda continues. "We all treated you poorly and we now realize that was inexcusable and insensitive." She bows her head. "I apologize, Furuichi. Because… you're not such a bad person. The Young Master values you as the one who keeps Tatsumi in line, and you are behind a lot of our victories. As a demon maidservant, I should be ashamed by how I treated you. I sincerely apologize for my actions."

"Me too," Kunieda apologizes. "In fact, I apologize on behalf of the Red Tails. You're a very smart person and without you, we wouldn't have had so many victories."

"I guess we should apologize as well," Yolda agrees. She, Isabella, and Satura bow slightly. "Our Master En values you as well and you have helped settle many of his tantrums. In fact, the Master sees you as an older brother to him and he respects you a lot. So… we deeply apologize."

Graphel and Naga bow to him slightly. "We Pillar demons also have to thank you," Graphel says. "You're a very capable, strong man, and you bring a positive influence on our Prince."

"We admire your loyalty to your friends," Naga adds. "And to us. We thank you."

Oga shakes his head, looking guilty. "Man… I'm so sorry," he apologizes. "I had no idea you really felt that way. But the thing is… I still need you. You're my first friend, and I'm so sorry I treated you like shit. And, I'm sorry it took for you to be possessed and to nearly kill yourself for us to realize that you were putting on a mask."

Nene approaches him. "I… I guess we did go a bit too far on some occasions," she admits. "And it was pretty horrible of us. I'm sorry, Furuichi."

"And you don't have to worry about not being one of us," Kanzaki reassures him. "You always have been one of us." We all give him a sincere smile.

Takachin looks surprised at that. "R-Really?" he asks.

"Of course… fool," Tojo adds, smiling.

Right then, a small smile crosses Takachin's face. "Th-Thanks…" he thanks.

_Looks like he's finally made peace with this issue. I don't think I've ever seen him this happy before, actually._ I think, smiling at the scene. It's great that this conflict has finally been settled. We all leave the room while Agiel stays with Takachin.

Later on, I decide to take a quick peek to see how they're doing. I see that Takachin is still resting his head on Agiel's lap while she plays with his hair. "Agiel… just what made you like me?" he asks.

Agiel smiles slightly. "Well, you're the only male to treat me with respect, and you're really cute sometimes," she tells him. "I think that when you attempt to flirt, you're really sweet and clumsy, but that's what makes it cute." She leans down and plants a kiss on his forehead. "However, what I really like about you is your strength and willpower, how you refuse to give up, no matter what." Agiel smiles at him. "That's what I admire the most about you."

She bends down and kisses him sweetly and I smile at the moment. _They really are meant for each other… _I think to myself.


	14. Chapter 14

**This chapter is somewhat inspired by the famous Pale Man scene from del Toro's _Pan's Labyrinth_. I literally listened to the soundtrack of that scene on a loop while writing this chapter to help create the mood. Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Beelzebub belongs to Ryuuhei Tamura, not me.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 14- Neither Human, nor Demon<strong>

"What's the next item?" Kanzaki remembers.

"Right…" I say, taking the pouch from one of the tables. I reach inside and pull out two items. "A piece of chalk…" I say, pulling out a piece of white chalk. "An hourglass…" I pull out an hourglass. "And a key." I pull out a fairly long gold key. I then pull out the letter and start to read it.

"'Are you hungry? Well, then eat before you do this task'," I start. "'You will be going to a very dangerous place. The thing that sleeps there is neither human nor demon. You will see a lavish feast laid out but don't eat or drink anything, absolutely nothing! Your life depends on it. Use the chalk to trace a door anywhere in your room. Once the door is open, start the hourglass. Use the key to find the next item and come back before the last grain of sand falls.'"

"That next task really sounds creepy," Satura comments.

Lamia raises her hand. "I volunteer for this one!" she says.

"I'll go with you," I tell her.

"Be careful, though," Hecadoth warns.

I nod. Although, the entire time, I have an uneasy feeling in me. This task sounds like it's going to be pretty fatal.

"You ready to do this, Lamia?" I ask her. The two of us have gone back to my house, since it's easier to draw on a wall than on the type of material in the walls of the shrine. Everyone else is also in my house, since my dad is in Kyoto for a friend's wedding.

Lamia nods. "Yeah," she says. I take the stick of chalk and draw a door on the wall. Right then, the chalk drawing fades and turns into a door. Lamia then pushes the door open to reveal a long hallway with a low ceiling and long arches. She turns to me. "You go first."

"Yeah." I slowly crawl through the door and step down into the hallway while Lamia follows, putting a stool inside for her to get on. As I check to make sure the key is in my pocket, Lamia starts the hourglass.

We walk down the hallways, making sure to be quiet. My gut is telling me to proceed with caution in this task, otherwise we'll be killed. Eventually, we reach a large dining room with the most lavish, generous banquet on a long table. All the food on the table looks mouth-wateringly tempting, with rich cakes, jellies, juicy fruits, and sumptuous meat dishes. However, when I look at the end of the table, my mouth drops open in shock and fright.

The creature at the end of the table is absolutely horrifying, like something from a child's nightmare. The creature is tall, pale, and thin, but what frightens the both of us the most is that the creature has no face. Just a mouth and two nostrils. It's completely still right now, its long bony hands with blackened fingers resting on the table, so it must be asleep. When we walk closer to it, we see a small plate with two eyeballs on it.

"What the…?" Lamia mouths silently in shock.

I look up onto the ceiling and to my shock, I see various horrific mosaics depicting this eerie creature killing and eating innocent children in various different ways. _So this creature's a child eater, huh? These mosaics already establish him as a threat, yet he hasn't even moved! _I tear my eyes away from the ceiling to something even more sinister on the floor by the fireplace: a pile of shoes. I shudder, trying not to imagine the thought of innocent children being caught eating the banquet by this child eater.

"Yumi!" Lamia whispers to me, pointing to three niches in the wall. I nod and make my way over to the wall. I take the key out of my pocket and insert it into the keyhole of the middle niche, only for it to get stuck.

"Not this one…" I murmur. I move it to the one on the right and the key fits. I unlock the door and reach inside, trying to find the next item. _Come… on… _

Right then, I feel it. My hand grasps onto a pouch and I slowly pull it out. "Okay, I got it!" I say, handing her the items. "Now, let's go."

We start to walk away from the niches when I suddenly see Lamia walking up to the banquet. My eyes widen in shock as she reaches out for a platter of grapes. "Lamia, what are you doing?!" I nearly shout. "Stop! Don't eat those!"

"I'm hungry…" she murmurs absentmindedly.

"Lamia, this thing's a- No! Lamia, stop that!" Unfortunately, it's too late. She has already eaten two grapes by the time she snaps out of her trance.

"Lamia!" I shout, horrified. _Did she not see the mosaics?! This is a Child Eater!_

"What… What did I do?!" she asks, confused.

"You ate two grapes!" I tell her. "Don't you remember the instructions?! We weren't supposed to eat or drink anything here! The thing at the end of the table is a child eater! He preys on children who try to eat his banquet!"

She turns to me, looking apologetic and frantic. "I… I'm sorry…" she apologizes. Before I can reply, we suddenly hear something. We turn towards the head of the table and to our horror, the fingers of the Child Eater suddenly jerks into motion. It suddenly picks the eyeballs from the small plate and… sticks them into sockets on its palms, holding them up to his blank face.

The Child Eater suddenly gets up from its chair, hobbling over to us, letting out an absolutely evil, wheezing shriek from its mouth. "Run!" I shout.

Lamia and I bolt from the room, the item with us. We run hastily down the hallways, Lamia running ahead of me. She manages to make it through the door back into my room, but by the time I get there, the last grain of sand has fallen from the hourglass. "No! No!" I cry out, running desperately.

"Yumi!" Lamia cries out. However, the door slams shut before completely disappearing by the time I reach there. I hastily fumble around in my pocket for the chalk, standing up on the stool. As I finally get it, I suddenly hear the same rasping shriek of the Child Eater.

I turn and glance behind me and to my dismay, I see the shadow of the Child Eater stalking down the hallway. I hastily reach up and draw a door in the ceiling. I then push up on it, just as the Child Eater stumbles grotesquely towards me. To my relief, the ceiling door opens up and I push myself up, grasping on the edge of my floor. My legs dangle below me and the Child Eater comes almost under me, trying to reach up and grab my legs. I manage to push myself out of the hole in the floor, narrowly escaping the Child Eater's attempt to grab my leg.

Once I push myself back into my bedroom, I slam the trapdoor shut, the eerie shrieks of the Child Eater slowly fading away before they become completely inaudible. I then fall back on the floor, my hand over my rapidly beating heart, breathing heavily. "Oh my gosh…" I pant. "I… I almost died back there!"

"Yumi!" I turn my head and see Hecadoth, Graphel, Naga, and Lamia at the doorway.

"Lamia called for us, she said there was an accident," Naga says.

"You okay?" Graphel asks me. "What happened?"

I sit up. "We managed to complete the task and retrieve the next item," I start. "However, we nearly died back there because _someone _decided to have a few grapes, despite the warning in the letter!" I glare at Lamia.

"It was only two!" she defends. "And they looked so good, I couldn't resist myself!"

Hecadoth's eyes widen in shock. "Lamia, do you know how careless that was?!" he scolds, appalled. "A few moments after you left, your mother, Pillar Baron Laymia, stopped by to warn us! She said that the banquet was an enchanted one, meant to draw you in and eat something!"

"And the letter specifically said that your lives depended on it!" Graphel chides. "If it wasn't for Tanaka drawing a door in the ceiling, she would've been eaten by that thing! You're thirteen Lamia, you should know better by now!"

"I'm sorry!" she apologizes, tearing up. "I didn't mean to!"

I can't help but feel a bit bad for her. "Hey, go easy on her," I tell them. "Besides, I'm alive and the next item is here." I wrap my arms around her in a hug. "I know you didn't intend to, Lamia. It's not your fault." Right then, I remember something. "Besides, you sounded like you were in a trance when you ate those grapes."

"It must've been the food," Graphel realizes. "The letter described the feast to be lavish and Laymia did say that the food was enchanted, so it must've cast a spell on Lamia."

We go downstairs to read out the next task to everyone. Meanwhile, I get started on making dinner for everyone. "What did the Child Eater look like?" Naga asks.

I shudder, since it looked exactly like the character of the Pale Man from my favourite movie _Pan's Labyrinth_. "It… It was tall and bony but it was incredibly pale. What scared me the most was that it had no face, except for nostrils and a mouth. Its eyes were on a plate, and when it woke up, it put the eyeballs into sockets on its palms!"

Hecadoth looks stunned. "That Child Eater's known as the Paidi Trogon!" he recalls. "It was a bedtime story often told to children to make them behave. The legend told of a pale, bony, faceless monster who was neither human nor demon that sat in front of a lavish enchanted feast and ate innocent children who were tempted by the food. Who would've thought that it actually existed!"

"What was the item that you retrieved?" Naga asks.

Lamia looks into the pouch. "It's a flute," she says, pulling out a wooden flute, along with the letter. "'Congratulations, you managed to escape the Paidi Trogon. Hope you didn't eat anything. That would've been stupid'," Lamia starts. "'You're almost done the tasks. For the next task, you must go to the Ishiyama Shipyard tomorrow early morning. There lies the Erymanthian Boar, a dangerous monster native to Makai. To sneak by it, lull it to sleep by playing a calming melody on the flute. While it's sleeping, get the next item. Whatever you do, don't wake it up.'"

"I'll go on this one," Isabella says. "I can play the flute."

"I'll go with you as well," Satura adds.

"Me too!" Yolda says.

"I should come as well," Hilda says.

"Can I go?" I ask.

"You've exerted yourself a lot already, Yumi," Hecadoth advises me. "And you just said that you were nearly killed. Just get some rest for now."

I nod. "Okay," I say.

"Everyone else, you can all go home," Isabella says. "Get some rest for tomorrow."


	15. Chapter 15

**Here's the very much-needed calm-before-the-storm chapter! The next chapter will be the big fight! Hope you enjoy this chapter. ****And to Devlin Dracul, I mainly used sites like Wikipedia, Scary for Kids, and other fact sites.**

**Disclaimer: Beelzebub belongs to Ryuuhei Tamura, not me.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 15- First Slow-Dance<strong>

At this point, almost everyone has gone home for the night. However, Hecadoth is in the house along with me. I'm pretty sure that he just wants to spend some alone time with me right now. We have already decided that Hilda, Yolda, Isabella, and Satura will go on the task to defeat the Erymanthian Boar tomorrow morning.

I don't blame Hecadoth for wanting some alone time with me. We've been so busy completing these tasks that we've rarely had time to take a break. Then again, the week we have to complete the tasks is nearly over. The letter that we just got stated that we're nearly done the tasks. However, we don't know how many tasks we still have to complete. Right now, I'm in the kitchen, making some soup for dinner. While I'm making dinner, I can't help but worry about Chiyoko. She's probably scared right now. I do hope that she's safe.

"Need any help with anything, Yumi?" Hecadoth asks me. I shake my head.

"I'm fine," I say as I stir the soup. "I'm just worried, that's all."

"About Chiyoko?" he asks.

I reluctantly nod. "I'm… I'm scared," I say. "What if she's…" I feel his arms wrap around my waist from behind, right then.

"Don't worry too much," Hecadoth reassures me. "I may not know Chiyoko as well as you, but I can tell that she's a strong girl. Besides, if something did happen to all the children, we would've known by now."

I nod slowly. "I guess…" I say. "Soup's ready, by the way. Want some?" I ask him.

"What kind is it?" he asks me.

"Minestrone," I say.

"Sure," he says. "I'll have some."

I take two bowls and two spoons out for us, pouring some soup into the bowls. "It's nice to finally have some peaceful alone time with you, right?" I ask.

"I agree," he tells me. He takes a sip of the soup as I walk up to the radio we have in the house and plug my iPod into it, playing some of my music to fill the silence.

"You know, from what I've seen, loyalty really means something to demons," I comment as the music plays in the background. "I remember before we started out these tasks, when Lord En asked you, Agiel, Graphel, and Naga to help him out. You were honoured and more than willing to help."

He nods. "Loyalty is an important thing for us demons," he starts. "Whether you're a servant or soldier serving under a demon, or even a married couple, loyalty is important. Treason is one of the worst offenses that anyone can ever commit. For us Pillar demons, our Lord En-sama is our main priority. If required, we would die for his sake in a heartbeat."

I smile slightly. "Yeah," I say. "Unfortunately, in the Human World, some humans disregard loyalty in terms of romantic relationships." I shake my head. "A few weeks ago, I had to console a St. Ishiyama girl after she discovered her douche of a boyfriend had been seeing other girls behind her back. That guy was a total ass, if you ask me."

Hecadoth rolls his eyes. "One time, when I was with Furuichi and Agiel in downtown Ishiyama, I heard a young man bragging to his friends about how he's managed to fool around with other girls behind his girlfriend's back and all his friends were congratulating him. We were so disgusted. I believe that if someone's getting into a relationship, they should be committed to their partner. They can't just play the field and break the heart of the poor person."

"Yeah, I also value loyalty," I say. "Nothing annoys me more than someone who isn't committed. In fact, it doesn't matter if it's a relationship or a master, or even an activity. You have to show commitment to it if you love it that much. I'm very committed to ballet, I practice for hours and hours until my legs are so sore they might fall off from my body, or until whatever I was practicing has become perfect."

"That's true actually," Hecadoth agrees. "In all honesty, I'd like to see you do ballet one day, Yumi."

"Sure," I tell him. "One day, I'll show you just how beautiful and graceful ballet can be."

A wry smile crosses my face. "You know something? After doing a lot of these tasks, I don't know what 'weird' is anymore," I realize. "I've seen a lot of bizarre, crazy creatures that I never thought would exist in real life, I've had some of my worst memories relived, I nearly got eaten by a child-eating monster…" I shudder at that.

"Yeah, I can understand how it must be scary for you," he tells me.

"That last challenge was almost like something from the movie _Pan's Labyrinth_, one of my favourite movies," I laugh slightly. "We should watch it one day. You'll really love it."

"I'll keep that in mind," he promises.

For some reason, this random question suddenly comes to mind. "Have you ever slow-danced before?" I ask as he brushes a strand of my hair away from my face.

He looks at me in confusion. "Where did this come from?" he asks.

I shrug. "I don't know," I respond.

A small smile comes on Hecadoth's face. "I slow-danced once," he tells me. "It was a year ago at some party celebrating the Great Demon Lord's birthday." He rolls his eyes. "Of course, it was the same party we discovered that there were certain people who shouldn't have too much to drink."

"Who was it with?" I ask.

"Pillar General Pamiel," he says. "It was nothing romantic. We just had to find a partner to dance with." He looks at me. "What about you?"

I blush in embarrassment. "No, actually," I say. "At my previous school, there were school dances I went to, in which guys could slow-dance with girls if they wanted to." I shake my head. "No guy ever asked me to dance with him, and I had a pretty bad experience at my most recent one."

"What happened?" he asks.

"There was this one guy who I had a slight crush on, and he asked me if I could dance with him at our school's Homecoming Dance," I start. "I agreed. Naturally, I was excited and I showed up in a nice dress and all decked out. You know what happened? He stood me up the moment we got there by ditching me to go and dance with another girl. He told me that he would never dance with me, that it was all a joke, and then he and his friends laughed at me as I started to cry."

Hecadoth stares at me incredulously. "What an ass!" he tells me, surprised. "That is a prime example of an asshole! To just stand you up like that?"

I chuckle. "It's okay," I reassure. "When my dad came, he found the guy and yelled at him and punched him in the face for hurting me and making me cry. I spent the rest of the night with my dad, crying to him for a bit. After that, we just watched movies and played chess together. It wasn't completely bad."

"I won't stand for that. You deserve to have a better experience than what that idiot gave you," Hecadoth tells me. As he says that, the song 'Dust to Dust' by the Civil Wars starts playing in the background from the radio. Right then, he stands up and holds his hand out to me. "May I have this dance, Yumi?" he asks, a small smile on his face.

I giggle as I give him my hand. "Of course," I say.

He takes my hand and places his other hand on my waist while I put my free hand on his shoulder. As the song continues to play, we slow-dance to the music. "So, which people had too much to drink at that party?" I ask curiously.

"Graphel was one of them," he says, rolling his eyes. "When he had too much alcohol, he started drunkenly ranting about Yata and nearly had a fight with him. It took me, Naga, and Basilisk to stop him from attacking his brother."

I giggle at that. "Who else shouldn't have so much alcohol?" I ask.

"Agiel, or else she becomes too... flirty," he says, an amused smile on his face. "When Tiriel had too much, she became a crying mess. Pillar Baron Quetzalcoatl just became a laughing idiot and laughed at everything for no reason. Pillar Baron Basilisk just tried to pick fights with everyone and Elim... I don't know who the hell gave her alcohol, but she was dizzy and staggering everywhere and she had to leave early."

"Why was there so much alcohol?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

Hecadoth chuckles. "It's the Great Demon Lord," he tells me.

I laugh at that. "That's true, actually," I agree, laughing with him.

I turn my head to look out the window and to my awe, I see a beautiful purple sky caused by the setting sun. "A purple sky…" I say wistfully.

Hecadoth looks outside. "It's such a rare occurrence in the Human World," he comments. "But when it happens, it's truly a beautiful sight."

I unconsciously move closer to him, wanting nothing more than to be in his arms right now. He lifts my arm and spins me around slowly before pulling me closer to him, my head on his shoulder. "How's this for a first dance?" he asks me.

"I like it," I whisper. "Thank you."

"I'm still not happy that you were humiliated in such a way," Hecadoth tells me truthfully. "Even though I can't change that, I'm glad that I can let you have your first dance." He gently caresses my face before kissing me softly. I kiss him back as we slowly stop dancing, now kissing in front of the sunset.

"Let's get some sleep now," Hecadoth tells me. "It's been a long day."

"Yeah," I say. I go up to the bathroom to brush my teeth and change into my nightclothes, which is a black tank top and purple butterfly sleep pants. When I go to my bedroom, I see Hecadoth sitting on the bed. "What are you doing here?" I ask.

"I'll stay here until you fall asleep," he tells me. "Is that okay?"

I nod, giving him a smile. "Yeah." I climb into the sheets, moving closer to him.

I feel his arms wrap around me and his low voice humming the same unknown lullaby that his mother once sang to him. At this point, I feel warm and safe in his arms. Before sleep takes over me, I feel his lips gently kissing my forehead. "Good night, Yumi," he murmurs against my forehead as he covers my body with the blanket. I then feel his lips gently kissing mine before I hear the door open and his footsteps receding down the halls.


	16. Chapter 16

**Here's the big fight against the urban legends! Hope you enjoy this chapter! Just a warning, there's some rather strong language that'll be used in here.**

**Disclaimer: Beelzebub belongs to Ryuuhei Tamura, not me.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 16- Fighting the Urban Legends<strong>

"How did it go?" Oga asks Hilda when we all arrive at his house after the four demon maidservants have completed the task.

"It went well," Isabella responds. "We managed to complete the task. However, when we were just leaving after we retrieved the item, Satura accidentally knocked something over and the boar woke up. We had to work together to kill it."

"What was the next item retrieved?" Naga asks.

"Oddly enough, we found no item," Yolda responds. "Only a letter."

Satura takes out the letter to read it. "'Congratulations. You have completed the second-last task,'" she starts. "'For the final task, come to the abandoned subway. Make sure you're ready for it.'"

I raise an eyebrow. "That sounds rather ambiguous," I comment nervously. "Could it be a trap?"

"Well, even if it's a trap, we'll still kick their asses!" Oga declares. "Let's go and teach 'em a lesson for stealing children!"

"Yeah!" Nene agrees. "Let's give 'em hell!"

We all go to the abandoned subway tunnels, ready to fight the Kagirinai Kumori and save the children. Upon reaching there, we step down onto the tracks, looking for them. I shiver slightly in fear as I hold onto my steel baton. We've been walking through these tunnels for a while now, passing each and every abandoned platform, looking for the Kagirinai Kumori. "Where are we now?" I ask.

"Way under Ishiyama," Takachin says. "And probably way within the city as well."

"How long was this place abandoned for?" Graphel asks.

"It was abandoned in the 50's, after a huge fire nearly burned this place down," Shizuka explains. She looks around her. "How many stations have we already passed?"

"I have no idea," Isabella says. "If we were close, we should have been able to sense them, right?" Suddenly, she tenses up.

"Isabella?" Yolda asks. Right then, we all feel it. The demonic energy.

"Where's it coming from?" I ask.

"This way," Naga says, pointing to a certain tunnel. We go in that direction and enter into another abandoned underground station, this one being larger and more spacious than the others with an abandoned subway train on the other side of the platform. A sudden movement from the train catches my eye and I turn to look for it.

Right then, I hear it. "Y-Yumi-neechan?" a familiar voice asks, sounding timid.

I turn towards the abandoned subway train and to my astonishment and relief, I see Chiyoko, trapped in there, still in her green blouse and black skirt she wore when she was kidnapped. "Chiyoko!" I gasp.

"Yumi?" Hecadoth asks.

"I… I found Chiyoko!" I exclaim.

"Really?" Naga asks.

"Guys, you should look there," Furuichi points out, pointing to the abandoned subway cars. "They're all in there."

Sure enough, we see not only Chiyoko, but we also see Baby Beel, Futaba, Kaede, Kouta, Satoru, and Haruka in the cars of the subway!

"Oh my gosh… what happened?" Shizuka asks, shocked.

"Never mind that, let's get them out of here!" Tojo declares. He runs up to the doors to try and pry them open, only to hit a sudden force field.

"What the-?!" Agiel nearly shouts.

"It's no use." We turn at the sudden voice. To our shock, standing on the stairs leading down to the platform is Kuchisake-onna, Oiwa, Teke Teke, the Kappa, Slenderman, and Aka Manto!

We glare at them in anger. "We completed your damn tasks!" Kanzaki snarls. "Now give 'em back to us!"

"You can't free them right now," Aka Manto tells him. "We've cast a spell around that train. The only way it can be broken is if you defeat us first."

"That's your final task," the Kappa declares. "If we defeat you, however, we'll kill Beelze-sama and all of you, and make these children our contract holders."

"Bring it!" Oga shouts as we all get into offensive stances. "We'll make you regret challenging us!"

Teke Teke simply smirks. "Fine. Now die." Right then, they all lunge at us, their weapons ready. Kuchisake-onna has her scissors, Aka Manto has his double blades, Slenderman is surrounded by tendrils of demonic energy, and Teke Teke has her sharp nails held up.

Kanzaki and Satura are facing against Kuchisake-onna, Tojo and Shizuka are up against Teke Teke, Nene, Isabella, and Lamia are fighting against Oiwa, Kunieda, Agiel, and Takachin are fighting against the Kappa, Oga, Hilda, Yolda, and Lord En are up against Slenderman, and Hecadoth, Graphel, Naga, and I are facing against Aka Manto.

As the four of us get into offensive stances as Aka Manto stands before us, I pull out my steel baton while Hecadoth summons his spear. The four of us summon our demonic energy to surround us. "So, would you like a red cape or a blue cape?" Aka Manto asks.

I glare at him. "We ain't gonna have any of your capes," I snarl.

"Quit playing around and fight us!" Graphel snarls.

"Too bad." Right then, he lunges at us, raising his swords. Hecadoth uses this opportunity to strike his face with his fist, sending him flying back. As he hits the ground, the mask falls off, revealing a deathly pale face with completely white eyes. What scares me the most is that his face displays no emotion, yet his voice has emotions.

"You really shouldn't have knocked my mask off," he says, his voice becoming angry. "It's not very nice."

He lunges at us again. "Demonic Quintessential Perfume…" I start, using my powers to materialize into a stream of demonic energy. I quickly move behind him, materializing again into my physical form, raising my baton. "One Thousand Butterfly Surge!" I shout, striking him with my baton.

The strike sends him flying back into a wall. However, he stands up, his face emotionless as he stares at me. "You'll pay for that, you little bitch." Suddenly, he grabs my neck and raises me up threateningly.

"Gah!" I gasp out, struggling against his hold. Right then, he holds me out as a shield, just as Hecadoth is about to deliver a strike into him. Even though my back is turned, I can sense his spear stop only inches away from my back.

As I struggle to breathe, I sense the anger in Hecadoth. "You bastard…" he hisses out. "Let go of her, son of a bitch!" I see a tendril of demonic energy striking him in the face and I'm released from his grip, falling onto the tracks.

"How dare you…" Hecadoth snarls at Aka Manto as I slowly stand up, gently touching my throat as I try to regain my breath. "You dare use a girl as a shield?! Pathetic!" He lunges at him, holding his spear out. "No wonder you were banished to the Human World after the war," he snarls as he attacks him. "You used a lot of cowardly strategies!"

"Shut up!" Aka Manto growls, punching him in the stomach, sending him flying back. Hecadoth slams into the subway car and I hear the startled squeals from the children in there.

"No!" Hecadoth stands up, surrounding himself with the demonic energy. "The reports had stated that you used innocent civilians as shields and even attempted to take some of the female Pillars hostage!"

Aka Manto glares at him. "You call me pathetic?!" he retorts. "You're the one to talk, Pillar General! You nearly killed the demon maidservant of Beelze-sama!"

"We were blinded by our loyalty to Lord En-sama," Naga retorts, glaring at him. "You don't even deserve to even say the name of Beelze-sama after what you've done!" He glances at Graphel. "Graphel, now!"

Graphel charges towards him, delivering a blow to his nose. As he does that, I hear the sound of bones breaking in his nose. "Traitors like you should just die!" he snarls, glaring at him.

Aka Manto sneers at him. "Look at you. All mouth, no actions," he taunts. "At least your brother Yata has more guts than you."

At the mention of Yata, Graphel becomes enraged. "You little… don't you dare compare me to my brother!" He grabs his face and slams him into the platform. "If you do that again, I'll kill you!" he snarls.

Naga holds his hands out in front of him. "Water Ash Flow… Snake Dragon Palm!" he roars, sending a blast of demonic energy towards him.

Using the opportunity, I charge towards him, holding my baton. However, to my surprise, Aka Manto suddenly uses his powers to grab Chiyoko from the subway train and hold her out in front of him as a shield. My eyes widen in shock and I force myself to stop as Chiyoko stares wide-eyed at me.

"Yu-Yumi-neechan…" she whimpers, tears in her eyes.

Hecadoth, Graphel, and Naga are appalled at this. "Bastard!" Hecadoth snarls.

At that moment, I feel the rage boiling in me. He has the nerve to use a child as a shield?! What a coward! "Let her go right now, you sicko!" I shout, striking him in the face with a tendril of energy.

"Hecadoth-san! Graphel-san! Naga-san!" I hear Chiyoko cry out. She runs up to Hecadoth, Graphel, and Naga, crying. Hecadoth gently holds her, hushing her and rubbing her back soothingly.

"It's okay, Chiyoko…" he reassures her in a gentle voice. "You're safe now."

I glare in rage at Aka Manto. Then, with a sudden surge of strength, I punch him so hard that he flies back into the stairs on the platform. "I'm not some old man!" I snarl, grabbing his collar and striking him across the face again. "Or a wounded prisoner!" I growl as he falls onto his knees.

"You little-" he's cut off when I start to punch him in the face repeatedly.

"Motherfucker! Don't you dare lay a damn hand on Chiyoko ever again, or I'll mutilate you in a way that you're useless to a woman!" I shout, punching him once more and he flies back, cutting through Oga and Hilda's fight before slamming into a wall.

I look around me and I notice that everyone has beaten their enemies and are just regaining their breath.

"You know, Hecadoth, your girlfriend never fails to surprise me," I hear Graphel tease Hecadoth. I turn and see the three of them with various expressions. Hecadoth just has a proud smile on his face, Graphel has an amused smile, and to my amusement, Naga is covering Chiyoko's eyes and ears with his hands, but he's also impressed.

"That's my girl," Hecadoth praises and I smile at him.

"I have to admit, I like how she went all Mama Bear on him," Graphel comments.

"Yumi-neechan!" Chiyoko cheers happily, running up to me. I smile as I bend down and hug her, tears filling my eyes.

"Chiyoko…" I whisper as I hug her tightly. "I'm so glad you're safe." I give her a small kiss on her forehead. "I was so worried about you."

"I missed you, Yumi-neechan," she cries into my shoulder. "I missed you so much!"

Right then, the force field around the subway train doors suddenly disappears before the doors open up. Right then, all the children run out of the subway train.

"Young Master!" Hilda cries out happily as she picks up Baby Beel, hugging him.

"Baby Beel!" Oga cheers, hugging the both of them.

"Da buh…" Baby Beel coos as Lord En ruffles his hair.

"Kouta!" Kunieda cries out happily, scooping him up in her arms and hugging him.

"Shizuka-nee! Tojo-niichan!" Satoru and Haruka cheer as they run up to Shizuka and Tojo, hugging them.

"Haruka, Satoru!" Shizuka cheers, throwing her arms around them as Tojo ruffles Satoru's hair. "I'm so glad you're safe!"

"Nee-chan!" Kaede shouts as she runs up to Nene, throwing her arms around her. Nene hugs her back as well, clearly happy that she's safe.

"Futaba!" Kanzaki cheers, a smile breaking out on his face as he scoops his niece in his arms.

"Uncle Hajime!" she cries out happily.

I see Takachin and Agiel smiling at the scene. "It's good that they're all safe," Takachin says.

"Yeah," Agiel agrees. Suddenly, she tenses up again.

"Agiel?" Hecadoth asks. Right then, we all feel it. Once again, we sense the demonic energy.

"You're not going anywhere." We turn towards the voice and to our shock, we see Thanatos, Lavinia, Samael, Mordred, and Cerberus, standing at the top of the stairs, along with a large army of demons!

"The Kagirinai Kumori!" Lamia exclaims.

"And the rebel demons…" Naga adds, narrowing his eyes. "I can't believe it. They're already here."


	17. Chapter 17

**I apologize for the late update! I was really busy so I didn't have much time to post this chapter! Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

**And to Devlin Dracul, I sometimes like to read suggestions and I try and use some of them, but if I already have something in mind, I might not be able to use them. Otherwise, I like to read suggestions and I try to use them.**

**Disclaimer: Beelzebub belongs to Ryuuhei Tamura, not me.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 17- Return of Caligula<strong>

We stare at the large army of rebel demons, stunned. We're clearly outnumbered. There's only fifteen of us, not enough to fight against a large army with the strongest assassins leading them!

Thanatos glares in disgust at the urban legend demons. "How could you fail?" he snarls. "You're demons, you should've been able to defeat them!"

Right then, one of the demons approaches Thanatos. "Sir, the preparations have been complete," he informs him. "We're ready."

"Wait, ready for what?" Oga asks, surprised.

"For this!" Suddenly, to our shock, the demonic energy in the room rises higher as a cloud of demonic energy appears among the rebels. It starts to materialize into none other than… Caligula!

"Caligula!" I exclaim in shock.

"So he escaped from prison as well," Hilda muses, glaring at him.

He sneers disdainfully at us. "Long time no see," he taunts.

"What are you doing here?" Hecadoth asks, readying his spear.

Ignoring the question, he just glares at the urban legend demons. "You released the children?!" he snarls. "We gave you orders not to do so! Even if you were defeated by them, you weren't supposed to release the children! You disobeyed orders!"

"We're sorry, sir," the Kappa attempts to apologize. "We'll kill them right now and take the children-" He's suddenly cut off when Caligula smirks cruelly at him.

"Did you think I was going to give you a second chance?" he taunts.

"But sir, you promised-" Kuchisake-onna starts to say.

"Did you really think that we would uphold our promise?!" Caligula demands. "No! You're all just lower-class demons who should know their place! I never even intended to uphold any promise!" He sneers. "There's no need for you anymore." He turns to his assassins. "Kill them."

Knowing what was going to happen, I pull Chiyoko close to me, covering her eyes and ears as the assassins leap down towards the urban legend demons. Likewise, everyone else does the same with the other children. I close my eyes and wince as I hear the sounds of their shouts and cries of pain and the sound of blood splattering the ground.

When the noises stop, I open my eyes and stare in shock at the sight. All the urban legend demons have been brutally slaughtered, lying in pools of their own blood. I swear, it's like something out of a Quentin Tarantino movie. "Oh my gosh…" I whisper. As much as I hate these urban legend demons, I'm still quite horrified at the brutality here.

Hecadoth glares in anger. "How dare you…" he seethes. "You never intended to return these children?! You made us do these fatal tasks for nothing?!"

Caligula sneers. "Each of those tasks you all completed were to help set me free from prison," he starts. "I had them set up each task in such a way that if you completed them, I would grow stronger. After you defeated these lower-class demons, it allowed me to break free from prison!"

"What was your intention with the children?!" Agiel demands.

"They would become the contract holders of my assassins and myself," he says. "After killing Beelzebub IV, we'd contract these children and go and destroy the royal family and the Human World!"

Our eyes widen in shock. "You bastard…" I snarl.

"You might as well give up now," Caligula taunts. "You're clearly outnumbered by a lot. Give up, and we might just let you go alive."

Suddenly, we hear a wry laugh from behind us. "They're not outnumbered, Caligula." We turn to look and to our surprise, we see Behemoth, Jabberwock, and the entire Pillar Division behind us!

"The Pillar Division!" Takachin exclaims, elated.

Jabberwock smirks. "We ain't gonna let the four of you have all the fun. Hecadoth, Graphel, Naga, Agiel," he says. "Let us in on the action as well!"

"So, you've all come to help out as well," Yolda greets, a small smile on her face.

"Well of course," Laymia says.

Behemoth turns to face the Pillar Division. "Everyone, listen up! This is for the sake of not only our Lord En-sama, but for the royal family as well! I will accept no defeats!"

"Yeah!" they all shout in agreement.

"Let's do this!" I shout to everyone.

Caligula sneers. "Fools," he taunts. "Get them!" he shouts to his army.

The army charges towards us and we respond by charging at them. Meanwhile, all the children hastily escape the subway station along with Lamia and Lord En. I'm now face to face with Samael and Lavinia, who are both fighting very viciously. "Oh, you seem to have gotten better at this, girly," Lavinia taunts as I block her sickle with my baton. "But can you handle this?!" She charges at me with her sickle raised. However, I'm prepared for the attack.

"Demonic Quintessential Perfume…" I shroud myself in the demonic energy, materializing into it as I swiftly move behind her. "One Thousand Butterfly Surge!" I shout, striking her in the back.

"Why you-" Lavinia turns around, attempting to slash me again, but I knee her in the gut before using my powers to send her flying into the wall.

I glare at her. "Don't underestimate me, Lavinia," I tell her.

To my surprise, she smirks. "Why don't you look behind you, honey?" she taunts. I turn and before I can react, I feel a strong hand roughly grab me by my neck and raise me up.

"You really shouldn't have hit my sister, wench," Samael sneers at me. "Do it again and I'll kill you first."

I glare at him and bite down on his hand. He lets out a shout of pain and lets go of me, causing me to fall onto the ground. As he clutches his hand in pain, I hold my baton up, ready to strike him. However, he suddenly smirks at me.

"You fell for it, didn't you?" Suddenly, I'm thrown back into the subway train.

"Did you really think that a bite like that could affect me?!" He charges towards me but I quickly roll out of the way. I then quickly pull out my can of pepper spray from my jean pocket and spray it in his eyes.

He howls in pain, covering his eyes. "How dare you, you little bitch!" he snarls.

I laugh in disbelief. "How dare _I_?! How dare _you_!" I snarl, lunging at him, kicking him in the gut. Lavinia tries to attack me from behind, but I deliver an uppercut punch on her jaw.

"The one who can hardly think straight due to this anger, is me!" I practically shout at them. "You endangered all these innocent children, yet you justify your actions?!"

"Look who's talking," Lavinia jeers. "You nearly killed your previous classmates, all because of a few comments about your whore of a mother."

Right then, I falter in surprise. She smirks and uses this to her advantage. "I got you!" she taunts, charging at me. I struggle to block her attack, and my baton goes flying from my hands.

"Dammit!" I curse in frustration. Suddenly, I feel the blade being held towards my neck and I glare at the sneering Lavinia.

"Too bad your boyfriend can't come and save you now," she mocks. "Oh well, Samael will give him the pleasure of watching me kill you."

I glare at her. "Bitch!" I snarl, spitting into her eye spitefully. She glares at me before slapping me hard across my cheek and kicking me to the ground.

"Any last words, Konketsuji?" Lavinia taunts. Suddenly, to my relief, Hecadoth jumps in front of me, blocking her attack with his spear.

"I'm ashamed here," Hecadoth scolds her, glaring fiercely. "And you call yourself a demon?!" He delivers a roundhouse kick to her chin, sending her flying back.

Lavinia sits up, looking stunned at him. "How could you?!" she demands, wiping some blood away from her mouth. "How could you-"

"Hit a girl?" Hecadoth finishes coldly. "Just because you're a girl doesn't mean I go easy on you." He lunges at her, his spear pointed at her. As Hecadoth fights Lavinia, I fight against Samael, who attacks me just as viciously.

At some point, Hecadoth and I are back-to-back as we fight Samael and Lavinia together, and the two of us are able to defeat them together. As they try and attack us together, Hecadoth and I simultaneously attack them: I strike Lavinia with my baton and Hecadoth takes down Samael with a kick to his chin.

"It's over now," Hecadoth tells them, pointing his spear at them.

To our surprise, the two of them smirk. "You're wrong about that," Samael sneers. "We were the last ones to be defeated."

"Huh?" I ask, confused. Suddenly, I sense an intense amount of demonic energy, rapidly rising in the station. "What the-?!"

Right then, the ground starts to shake. "What's happening?!" Kunieda shouts, surprised.

Caligula sneers. "He has awakened," he says.

That's when we hear it. A loud roar from within the subway walls. "What is that?!" I ask, my heart racing in fear.

"No… it can't be!" Agiel gasps in shock.

"What is it?!" Takachin asks.

Jabberwock tenses up. "This is the roar of the most deadliest monster in Makai…" he trails off.

"This is…" Behemoth says apprehensively.

"Typhon the Dragon," Jabberwock finishes.


	18. Chapter 18

**I'm so sorry for the late update again! My life has been really busy, but here's Chapter 18! I must warn you, I don't know when I'll be able to get Chapter 19 out, but I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Beelzebub belongs to Ryuuhei Tamura, not me.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 18- Typhon<strong>

"But… how?" Naga asks, stunned. "I thought he was put into an eternal sleep over a thousand years ago! It was said that over a hundred soldiers put him to sleep so that he wouldn't wake up ever again!"

"He was," Caligula retorts. "But my assassins woke him up a while ago."

"We transported him from Typhon's Cave in Makai," Mordred explains. "And we woke him up by infusing him with the Eternal Fire."

We all stare at him in shock. "So… we're now up against a dragon?!" I ask. "How the hell can we fight against a dragon?! We're not even properly armed!"

"You fool!" Hilda scolds, appalled. "Do you realize that Typhon was put to sleep for a reason?! He ravaged many lands and killed nearly thousands of people!"

"Exactly," Caligula responds. "With Typhon, I can finally destroy the Human World and take the throne for myself!"

I turn to Hecadoth. "What are we gonna do now?" I ask.

"We'll have to go all out and work together if we want to take down this dragon," he tells me.

"He's right," Jabberwock agrees. "Everyone, prepare yourselves for this!" he instructs. "We're gonna go all out from the start."

Caligula smirks. "Fool," he simply states. Right then, another loud, chilling roar resounds from within the walls of the subway. "He's now been awakened."

Right then, the ground starts shaking again and then suddenly, the walls crumble and break as a huge dragon bursts through the walls, roaring loudly. We all stare up in shock. The dragon is azure green with large scales, beady white eyes, and huge wings. It opens its mouth and roars again, revealing several rows of sharp teeth and a forked tongue.

"Holy shit…" Kanzaki trails off.

"That thing is huge!" Takachin exclaims.

Behemoth stares up at the dragon. "Yes… this is Typhon, the most savage, dangerous dragon to have ever existed."

Caligula sneers at us. "With Typhon, I can finally conquer the Human World and even take the throne!" he declares.

Suddenly, to our shock, Typhon glares down at Caligula, snarling at him. Right then, it swiftly clamps its mouth over him before lifting its head up, gulping him down. My skin crawls as I hear his screams and shouts as he's eaten alive by Typhon.

"Oh my gosh…" I trail off.

Right then, Typhon glares at the rest of the assassins and rebels. To our shock and horror, it suddenly unleashes a stream of fire at all of them, incinerating most of them. Typhon then proceeds to pick up each and every assassin, eating them alive with no mercy.

As we all watch this horrific sight, their agonized screams ringing in our ears, I can't help but think about the irony of this. The very dragon that Caligula summoned to destroy us ended up killing and eating him as well as his assassins and the rebel demons. I also can't help but think about the symbolism in this situation. The arrogance of the Kagirinai Kumori ended up eating them… literally.

"What is this?!" Shizuka asks.

"Why's it eating them?!" Kunieda asks.

"It's angry," Hilda says. "After nearly a thousand years of sleeping, it's been forcefully woken up, so it's eating the people responsible for disturbing it."

"So, in a way, they're being consumed by their own arrogance," I muse. "How ironic."

"Guys!" Takachin calls us. "I have a plan!"

We all move closer to Takachin while Typhon is busy with its massacre. "When we get the chance, let's attack the dragon. To start off, all the demons can fly up and strike its face. Avoid the mouth at all costs. Everyone else, attack the rest of the body, especially the legs. Finally, Oga will deliver the final blow to finish it off," he tells us.

"Good idea!" Behemoth praises.

"Very well," Hilda says. "Ak-baba!" she calls. Right then, an Ak-baba bird flies from the tunnels up to Hilda and she climbs on, holding her sword.

"Yumi-chan," Agiel calls, handing me a sword. "Use one of my swords. Your baton won't work on this one."

A small smile crosses my face. "Oh, my baton will work," I tell her. I push a small button on the handle. Right then, the baton grows bigger until it becomes a spiked mace.

Agiel stares at it in surprise. "Wow… now that's cool!" she says.

"It's a special baton from Makai," I explain. "Hecadoth gave this to me as a gift. He told me to use the button when the time comes."

"Sweet," she says. "Now, let's do this!"

Jabberwock, Hecadoth, Agiel, Naga, Graphel, and I position ourselves at an angle where we can easily strike the dragon's face but avoid the mouth. Basilisk starts out by using his large axe to attack Typhon, who is still killing the Kagirinai Kumori and the rebels. As Typhon howls in pain, the six of us use the opportunity to materialize into streams of demonic energy and fly up to Typhon's face.

Hecadoth is the first one to strike, attacking its eye with his spear. Typhon lets out another roar of pain as Hecadoth quickly flies back to the ground. Agiel strikes next, attacking its other eye with her sword. I then attack its forehead with my mace. Jabberwock attacks next, unleashing a series of powerful attacks on Typhon's head, causing it to let out an angered roar. Naga is next, using his Water Ash Flow: Snake Dragon Palm and blasting Typhon's wings and Graphel targets its back.

"Next team, attack!" Jabberwock orders. "Rest of you, go for the legs!"

Lunana, Lindworm, Kirin, Salamander, Yinglong, and Yata attack next, aiming for the back and wings. As they attack the back and wings, we all target the legs. Meanwhile, Hilda and the other maidservants attack the tail. As Hecadoth and I repeatedly strike one of the legs, a thought occurs to me. _Where's the weak spot of this thing? _I wonder to myself. Right then, on the nape of its neck, I see a pulsating blue glow.

"Hecadoth, look up there!" I shout, pointing to the pulsating glow on the neck. "What is that?"

Hecadoth follows the angle where I'm pointing at. He stiffens up slightly at that moment. "I can sense a great amount of energy from that area," he notices.

"That's…" Graphel trails off in surprise.

"That's where the energy of the assassins has been infused!" Naga realizes. "No wonder Typhon's stronger than before!"

"If we can somehow strike that spot, then we can weaken it enough for Oga to deliver the final blow!" Takachin realizes.

Jabberwock grins. "I'll take care of that." He materializes into demonic energy and flies up to the glow, landing on the nape of its neck. He has to steady himself as Typhon is roaring in anger and pain at our attacks. Right then, with a large amount of demonic energy surrounding his fist, he brings it down in a heavy punch on the glow.

Typhon roars in rage as we suddenly see streams of blue energy being expelled from it before dissolving in the air.

"Oga! Now!" Takachin shouts to him.

"Right!" Oga shouts back. He takes out a flask of milk and drinks it up.

"Everyone else, stand back!" Hilda shouts. "Or else we'll get caught up in it!"

We all run towards the tunnels until we reach a safe distance as Oga sends out an infinite number of Zebul Emblems at Typhon, trapping him. When the last one touches Typhon, at that moment, a large pillar of red light consumes him and explodes, creating a large dust cloud and causing the walls of the subway station to collapse. We all cover our eyes to block the dust flying everywhere and the ground shakes once more as Typhon lets out one final roar.

When the dust clears, we see that the subway station is completely wrecked and there are no traces of Typhon at all. Oga and Baby Beel are standing in the midst of the wreckage, breathing heavily.

"Well, looks like it's all over," I say.

"Yeah," Agiel agrees.

We did it. We completed the tasks, saved the children, and defeated a dragon. Amazingly, we all survived it. Right then, we see Lamia, Lord En, and the other children come into the wreckage to meet us. "Let's go home," Lamia says. "First, I should heal everyone's injuries."

"Yeah," Takachin agrees as we leave the station. By the time we leave the station, it's already dusk, and the sky is a shade of light purple.

After my injuries are healed up, I decide to take Chiyoko back to her mom. However, Hecadoth, Graphel and Naga follow me as well. "You're coming as well?" I ask.

"Yeah," Hecadoth replies.

"They should come, Yumi-neechan!" Chiyoko tells me. "I'll tell my mom that they helped you save me!"

A smile crosses my face as I hear that cute little comment. "Come. Let's go," I tell her.

At one point, during the walk, Chiyoko looks up at me. "Are you okay, Yumi-neechan?" she asks me, concerned.

I feel my heart melt upon hearing her worried voice. I give her a reassuring smile. "I'm all right," I reassure her.

She turns to Hecadoth, Graphel, and Naga. "Are you okay?" she asks them in concern.

Hecadoth smiles at her. "I'm fine," he tells her, patting her head. "Your concern is appreciated, though."

"What about Graphel-san and Naga-san?" she asks.

A small smile crosses Graphel's face. "I'm okay," he reassures her, his voice soft.

"So am I," Naga adds, smiling in amusement.

A happy smile breaks out on her face. "Thanks for saving me!" she thanks. "Now, I hope I can become just as strong as Yumi-neechan one day!"

Her last comment makes us all smile. She really is cute.

We eventually reach her house and make our way up to the door. I knock on the door as a small smile crosses my face. I can already anticipate Keiko-san's reaction.

The door opens to reveal both Keiko-san and her husband, Takashi-san. I smile at her. "Good evening, Keiko-san," I greet. "I have some good news for you." I step aside to reveal Chiyoko.

Keiko-san's eyes widen in shock and tears come to her eyes as she smiles in joy and relief. "Chiyoko!" she cries out as Chiyoko runs up to her.

"Mama! Papa!" she cheers, hugging them.

"We were so worried," Takashi-san tells her.

Keiko-san smiles at me. "Thanks so much, Yumi-san," she thanks me, overjoyed. Right then, she notices Hecadoth, Graphel, and Naga. "Who are they?" she asks.

"That's Hecadoth-san, Yumi-neechan's boyfriend, and those two are his friends, Graphel-san and Naga-san!" Chiyoko tells her. "They're soldiers and they helped Yumi-neechan rescue me!"

"Really?" Keiko-san smiles warmly at them, saluting to show her respect. "Thank you so much."

"You're most welcome," Hecadoth tells her, smiling politely.

"We're happy to help you," Naga adds.

I smile at them. "Well, let's go home, shall we?" I say.

"Yeah, let's go," Hecadoth agrees.


	19. Chapter 19

**Here's Chapter 19! I'm really sorry for the late update! Again, I've been swamped with schoolwork and projects, so this really took a while. But, I managed to get it out, so enjoy!**

**I just have a question for Devlin Dracul. I read on Beelzebub Wiki that Naga has a skill known as Summoning Style: Way of the Angel. Which chapter does he use that in again? I don't remember reading it. I'd love to know where he uses it so I can read it again!**

**Disclaimer: Beelzebub belongs to Ryuuhei Tamura, not me.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 19- Movie Night<strong>

A week has passed since we rescued the children and destroyed Typhon the Dragon. Our lives have continued on as always, but a few things have changed. For example, Takachin is starting to hang out with Oga and the others a bit more, and they've started treating him better. Hilda just calls him Furuichi and is a bit more polite towards him and even the Red Tails are treating him better.

Right now, I'm just sitting in the living room, watching _Alien _with Dad. I cringe at one of the jump scenes and Dad chuckles. "Remember when you walked in on this part when you were five, Yumi?" he recalls. "You wouldn't eat for a really long time."

I shudder. "Yeah… I remember…" I say, wincing as I hear the character scream in shock.

"Do you want to stop watching?" he asks upon seeing me wince.

I shake my head. "No, it's fine," I say. "However, it unfortunately reminded me of a week ago, when… Typhon the Dragon…"

Dad wraps his arms around me comfortingly. "That must've been terrifying," he says, sounding empathetic.

I nod. "It was shocking, actually," I recall. For a while, I can't seem to get those screams from the rebels and the Kagirinai Kumori as they were being burned or eaten alive out of my head. In fact, I've actually been having nightmares because of that, which resulted in me hardly having any sleep for a few days.

"You're a very brave girl, Yumi," Dad tells me. "Your mother would've really been proud of you. I mean, you risked a lot of things to save those children. Not only you, but your friends as well. And for that, I'm so proud."

I smile at him. "Thanks Dad," I say.

Right then, we hear a knock at the door. "I'll get it," Dad says, getting up from the couch.

I pause the movie as I wait for Dad to come back. To my surprise, I see Hecadoth following him. "Hecadoth!" I exclaim, both surprised and happy. "What's up?" I ask.

"I wanted to see you," he tells me. "And also, I had to get out."

"What happened?" I ask.

"Furuichi and Agiel are watching some awful movie that I could care less for," Hecadoth says, rolling his eyes.

"Really?" I ask. "What movie?"

He shakes his head. "Something along the lines of… _Sharknado_, I think," he says. "Even the title itself sounds like it's really bad."

I laugh. "Oh wow," I say. "They're actually watching that?"

"I tried to watch it, but I gave up after watching a scene with a man chainsawing his way out of a shark. It was absolutely ridiculous," he tells me. He looks at the TV. "What are you watching?" he asks.

"_Alien_," I say. "Wanna watch it with me? It's really good."

He shrugs. "Why not?"

"We can watch _Pan's Labyrinth _after this," I tell him.

Dad smiles at the scene. "Well, I guess I should give you two some privacy," he teases. "Besides, I've seen both movies enough number of times." He then gives a stern look to Hecadoth. "Don't try and pull anything funny on my daughter, got it?"

"Of course," Hecadoth says, rolling his eyes.

I giggle as I start the movie from the beginning. "What's _Alien_ about?" Hecadoth asks as he sits down next to me.

"It's about a crew on a commercial spaceship that picks up an SOS warning from a distant planet. After they land on the planet, they find out too late that the signal was a warning, not a call for help, and they leave without knowing that an alien stowaway has sneaked aboard the vessel," I explain. "It's both horror and sci-fi, and it's a pretty frightening movie as well." I shudder. "It can make you pretty uncomfortable, but that's all part of it."

"Now my curiosity has been piqued," he says.

I smile as I start the movie. "You'll like it," I tell him. "It gets pretty violent, but it's a really good movie."

Right then, the movie starts to play and it seems like Hecadoth's interest has been sparked the second the opening credits are finished. He watches every scene with interest, and even shudders when the facehugger alien appears. I can tell he's rather impressed with the way the movie's been made. "You know," he says softly. "I have to admit, Human World filmmakers can be quite creative."

"What are movies in Makai like?" I ask.

He chuckles. "A lot of them are the same cliches over and over again, and they somehow get good reviews," he says.

Right then, it slowly gets to the scariest scene in the movie: the chestburster scene. I shudder and quickly move closer to him. "I can't watch this part!" I cringe, hiding my face in his chest. I also feel him cringe in shock during that scene.

"I get it now…" he muses. "So, the facehugger creature was a parasite, attaching itself onto that human's face so it could lay the egg in him. The human was merely a host body for the creature, and once it hatches, it bursts out of the host's chest."

I shudder. "Yeah…" I laugh slightly. "I walked in on this scene when I was like, five, and I was so traumatised by that scene that I didn't eat for a long time."

He chuckles. "I can see why," he says. "I can tell that these creatures aren't generated with this Human World technology known as CGI."

I nod. "Yeah, it's a fairly old movie from the 70's, but it's really good," I say.

"The design of the alien creature is actually really interesting," Hecadoth adds. "It's not stereotypical or absurd, and it looks nothing like a human. It's unearthly, frightening, macabre, and savage. It has no conscience, whatsoever."

We continue to watch the movie, occasionally cringing during some of the scenes, and eventually, we finish the movie. "So, how was it?" I ask.

"I liked it, it was rather unique and entertaining," he says. "Now, what about this _Pan's Labyrinth_?"

I smile. "Oh, you'll love that movie," I tell him as put that movie into the DVD player. "It's in Spanish, but it has English subtitles."

Again, just like with _Alien_, Hecadoth's interest in this movie is piqued from the start. During the first scenes, he observes each character and their behaviour and actions. "This film director has a very interesting view of the World of Demons," he muses at one point.

"Uh, he's not exactly talking about the World of Demons, you know," I say, a small bead of sweat dripping down my head. During the scenes that show the brutality of Captain Vidal, I see Hecadoth looking rather stunned at the brutality of him.

About halfway into the movie, around the start of the Pale Man scene, a small smile crosses his face. "This is actually a really rich movie," he muses. "It's full of symbolism."

I cringe throughout the Pale Man scene, the scene reminding me of that fatal task that I had to do. Even Hecadoth seems rather disturbed at the Pale Man when he wakes up. "It looks like something from a child's nightmare," I comment.

He nods. "I don't know which one was more disturbing, the toad under the tree that spewed out its insides or this Pale Man," he tells me. "I like the soundtrack in this scene, though."

"When I first saw this scene, I literally watched through the gaps of my fingers," I recall, laughing slightly. "It freaked me out a lot."

When the movie finishes, I turn to him. "So, how'd you like it?" I ask.

He chuckles. "I see why you love it so much," he tells me. "It's quite a beautiful movie. Again, this Human World filmmaker is quite clever and creative."

I nod. "Yeah," I say.

"You know, you and your father are actually pretty similar," he tells me. "Don't take this as an insult, but you're both rather strict, tough, and you're very no-nonsense."

I giggle. "Yeah. Even though my dad went to St. Ishiyama in his high school days, he was very good friends with some delinquents from Ishiyama High School, and the fact that he's very good in jujutsu and karate doesn't make him any less intimidating," I say.

"Well, since he was a contract holder, then I understand why he seems rather intimidating," Hecadoth says.

"He works as a mechanic as well, and if anyone in his family is put in danger, then he won't hesitate to fight," I continue. I smile as I remember something. "One time, when I still lived in Canada, my dad caught the mean girls picking on me and he just went berserk." I laugh. "He literally said, 'Listen here, you little brats! Just because I fixed your cars doesn't mean I'm gonna go easy on you! If you dare pick on my daughter again like that, I'll make sure to damage your cars so badly they can never be fixed again!'"

Hecadoth laughs at that. "Yeah, I can see that you have the same kind of air that your father has when he's angry," he says. "I remember when he came to save us from Azazel in that warehouse. He had this air of rage and anger."

I nod. "Yeah, it seems like I inherited some of his traits," I say, moving closer to Hecadoth. "I'm glad we can finally have some time together."

"Me too," he says. "You know, Yumi, I think that when you become a teacher in the Pillar Division, you should have them study Human World literature such as _Lord of the Flies_, plays by this William Shakespeare, and other classics."

"How come?"

"I think it's important that we demons not only study humans, but we learn about human nature," Hecadoth reasons. "I learned a lot about human nature from novels and plays."

I giggle. "You sound like my English teacher there," I tease. "But yeah, I actually agree. Learning about human nature is important." I smile. "I guess I could teach demons about human nature."

I lean in and give him a sweet kiss. _I missed this a lot... _I think to myself as he kisses me back, our arms wrapping around each other. When we pull away, we simply lie on the couch, enjoying each other's company in silence. Man, it feels so good to have this peace again. In fact, now that all the children have been saved and returned to their families, it feels so good to have a break.


	20. Chapter 20

**I apologize for the late update again! This is the second last chapter of 'Purple Skies', so I hope you enjoy!**

**And to Devlin Dracul, I don't watch many sci-fi movies, but my most favourite one is _Planet of the Apes _(the version with Charlton Heston). I hope you enjoy this!**

**Note: For this chapter, I recommend that you look up 'Fureai' on Youtube, and listen to 'Invisible Wall' by the GazettE, so you can get an idea of her dances.**

**Disclaimer: Beelzebub belongs to Ryuuhei Tamura, not me. Chizuru belongs to the GazettE, not me.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 20- A Really Great Day<strong>

Today is Lord En's birthday, so a birthday party is happening at Takachin's house, mainly because he has 'good Human World games'. Yolda has invited all of us to celebrate, including the other children, since Lord En has become good friends with them. Also, a lot of people are showing up for the party, so his house is gonna be pretty crowded.

Right now, I'm out at the Ishiyama Shopping Mall, trying to find an appropriate birthday present for Lord En, since the birthday party is later in the evening. As we enter the mall, a thought comes to me. _This could be the perfect opportunity for me to showcase my ballet. At the party. _I think to myself as I enter a toy store. It doesn't take too long for me to find a gift, because I just buy him a Pikachu plush toy, the simplest gift.

After paying for the item, I leave the store and back into the mall, glancing down at my watch. I still have a lot of time before I have to go home and get ready, so I might as well wander around a bit. Right then, I hear a familiar voice behind me. "Yumi, is that you?"

I turn to the source of the voice and to my surprise and joy, I see Mitsuko, Rachel, Jacqueline, Brianna, and Chandra, my friends from Edmonton! My eyes brighten in excitement. "Guys!" I nearly squeal, running up to them and hugging them.

Jacqueline laughs and hugs me back. "Girl, it's been so long!" she greets, her French accent still laced in her voice.

"I can't believe we've run into you here!" Brianna giggles. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was just shopping for a friend," I tell them, switching to English. "Why are you here?"

"We're here on the EF Japan tour," Mitsuko explains.

"But, why are you in Ishiyama?" I ask. "What exactly was the itinerary again?"

"Well, it's kind of changed this year," Chandra explains as we go to the food court to talk. "We've already visited Tokyo and Hakone, but we're stopping in Ishiyama because of the water park. Tomorrow, we'll be going to Kyoto and Osaka."

"What's been happening since I left?" I ask as we sit down.

"Oh, a lot has happened," Rachel tells me. A grin comes to her face. "And you're not gonna believe this. You remember the 'Populars', right?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Yeah, what about them?" I ask.

"They've been expelled!" Jacqueline says.

My eyes widen in shock. "Seriously?" I ask. "How?"

Brianna smiles. "Well, after your expulsion, we decided to bring justice, so we managed to reveal some of their previous offenses," she says. "They had been bullying the ESL students into doing their homework, they plagiarized a lot of their assignments, and they even videotaped themselves bullying some students and put the video up on the Internet."

"How'd you manage to expose them?" I ask.

"We got help from a lot of students," Chandra says. "And we all managed to stand up for ourselves."

Rachel nods. "Yeah. They had vandalized the local synagogue where I attend, so I reported that. I had enough of them making Holocaust jokes and bullying me for my Jewish heritage."

Jacqueline nods her head in agreement. "I know. They were pretty racist towards a lot of people," she says. "I'm tired of how they constantly mock me because I'm from France."

"We reported their racism as well and once we showed the evidence of their other offenses, they were as good as gone," Mitsuko says. "All their threats of suing the principal and the school board were useless. No one feared them anymore and no one wanted anything to do with them anymore."

I smile brightly. "So, their reign in the school's finally ended," I say. "How does it feel?"

"It felt awesome. In fact, people aren't afraid to stick up to jerks anymore," Chandra tells me. "You were one of the few people in the school who could stand up to the Populars without caring about your reputation being trashed, and that's pretty strong."

I laugh. "Well, that's what happens when your dad is a badass who was friends with delinquents in his high school days and when your mom was a badass mama bear!" I joke.

They all laugh, and for a while, we just catch up on various things. Eventually, they have to head back to the group, so we hug and say our goodbyes, along with promises to hopefully see each other again. "See ya, girl!" Brianna says, waving bye.

I smile as I wave back. "See ya!"

When I get home, I decide to change into something a bit nicer for the party. I change into a white off-the-shoulder blouse with butterfly patterns along with a jean skirt and black leggings. After applying a bit of makeup on my eyes, I put the plush Pikachu into a gift bag and write a small card for Lord En. I also take a garment bag that has my dance costume: a pale-green strapless ballet tutu with various flower patterns on the costume, as well as my ballet tights and ballet shoes. I then take a bag with my CD player and the CD that I'll be dancing to. Once I have everything, I say bye to Dad and make my way to Takachin's house in an extremely good mood.

"Hey Yumi!" Takachin greets when he opens the door. "You're just on time!"

"Hey," I greet. "How's your house doing right now?" I joke, laughing.

He laughs. "Ehhh, it's fine for now," he says. "Although, there's gonna be a huge mess in the house after this party. Here, I'll take the present to the kitchen. Come on in."

When I enter the house, it seems like everyone's here. The Tohoshinki, the Red Tails, the entire Pillar Division, even the Six Holy Knights are all here. I see Lord En in the living room, playing video games with Oga, Kanzaki, and Tojo while being cheered on by Yolda, Isabella, and Satura. Meanwhile, Yata and Yinglong are perusing through a shelf of books with mild interest, and Salamander, Quetzalcoatl, Basilisk, and Laymia are playing a game of Monopoly.

"Wow, there's a lot of people here," I say to myself.

"I know, right?" I turn and see Hecadoth.

"Hey!" I greet, giving him a hug. He hugs me back as he notices the garment bag.

"What's that?" he asks.

"Oh, I'm planning on showcasing my ballet," I tell him, a small smile on my face as I put it in the closet. "So, everyone's here, huh?"

"Yeah," he says. Graphel comes up to us, a croquette on a small paper plate.

"Have you had these croquettes yet?" he asks. "These are actually pretty good, even though they don't fly or crawl away." Right then, he smirks at Hecadoth. "You know, have you seen the way Schetalim hangs around Quetzalcoatl? He's into him."

Hecadoth rolls his eyes. "For the last time, Graphel, Schetalim merely admires him," he retorts. "Just because he's hanging around Quetzalcoatl doesn't mean that he's gay."

Graphel grins. "Well either way, you're gonna be singing when we do karaoke," he teases.

"Like hell I am!" Hecadoth snaps back, glaring at him.

I raise an eyebrow as we walk into the house. "Uh… am I missing out on something?" I ask.

"Graphel and I placed a bet on whether Schetalim's gay or not," Hecadoth explains. "The loser has to sing first when we do karaoke tonight. Graphel decided on that because he knows that I hate singing."

"He rarely ever sings during karaoke nights," Graphel retorts.

I giggle at that. "Oh wow…"

We walk into the kitchen, where there's an array of snacks set up on the table. We see Hilda and Lamia supervising a game that all the other children are playing, while the Red Tails are all conversing with the Six Holy Knights. Among the kids are Kaede, Satoru, Haruka, Futaba, Baby Beel, Kouta, and Chiyoko. Even Pillar General Elim is playing with the kids.

Right then, Chiyoko looks up and her eyes brighten upon seeing me. "Yumi-neechan!" she cheers.

I smile at her. "Hi Chiyoko!" I greet, waving at her.

Agiel comes up to me. "Yumi-chan, you're in a good mood today," she comments. "What happened?"

A grin crosses my face. "When I was shopping for Lord En's present, I ran into my old school friends," I start. "And guess what? They told me that the 'Populars' have been expelled!"

Hecadoth looks surprised. "How?" he asks.

"After I left, they started getting evidence of their previous offenses in the school," I explain. "Including taking advantage of the language barrier to bully the ESL students into doing their homework and assignments. They had also been bullying a lot of other students and even plagiarizing a lot of assignments." I grin in triumph. "Karma finally caught up with them!"

"Someone's really happy about that," Takachin comments.

"Well, of course!" I say. Right then, Naga approaches me.

"Tanaka, I'd like to see your ring," he says. I hesitantly hold my hand out and show the ring.

A small smile crosses his face. "You know, that diamond is said to bring prosperity and good luck," he comments. "It's from a very old mine, and the gemstones from there are said to be of the highest quality."

"Really?" I ask.

Hecadoth nods in confirmation. "Yeah. That's why I chose that diamond," he explains.

Before I can say anything, I suddenly hear the sound of something crashing to the ground from the main room and we all turn just in time to see Basilisk storming into the kitchen, frustrated. "I'm never playing that cursed game ever again!"

"Now, now, don't be like that, Basilisk," Salamander says, following him, a smile on his face. "It's just a game."

"_You _clearly cheated!" he retorts.

"No, I just happen to be as good as Quetzalcoatl when it comes to board games," Salamander says, a teasing smile on his face. Right then, Laymia follows, shaking her head.

"I now know why Furuichi warned me about that game Monopoly," she says. "It really does put friendships on the line."

"That's what all that noise was all about?!" I ask, facepalming.

Right then, Quetzalcoatl comes in with Schetalim following him. "I have to say, the Human World has some interesting board games," Quetzalcoatl says, a smile on his face. "Although, the pieces on that board were rather dusty."

Furuichi laughs. "Yeah, well, the last time I tried to play it with my family, my dad flipped the board over in frustration and stormed out," he calls from the living room. "Since then, we've never played it again."

We all laugh at that. "And Basilisk just flipped the board over after getting seriously annoyed," Laymia chuckles.

Right then, Schetalim hands a glass of fruit punch to Quetzalcoatl. "Here, General Quetzal," he tells him. "I got you something to drink."

The clown smiles and takes the glass. "Thank you, Schetalim," he thanks. Right then, he leans into his ear and whispers something that makes Schetalim blush deeply. Whatever it was, it must've been pretty suggestive. However, I catch a part of the sentence and it's: "Let's play again tonight… you know what I mean?" My eyes widen in surprise. So, Schetalim really is gay, and he's head-over-heels for Quetzalcoatl?!

Both Hecadoth and Graphel also hear this. "Hell yeah, I was right!" Graphel cheers smugly. "Schetalim really was gay!" He smirks at Hecadoth. "Told you so."

Hecadoth glares at him, shoving him in annoyance. "Screw you, asshole!" he snarls. I chuckle at the scene, playfully rolling my eyes.

"Come on, Heca-chan, don't be shy!" Agiel encourages him. "I'll set everything up!"

"Like hell I'm singing!" Hecadoth snaps, but Agiel ignores him as she runs to the living room. Graphel merely gives him a look.

"At least do it for your girlfriend," he teases, laughing when Hecadoth blushes.

Right then, we hear Agiel from the living room. "Okay guys, I'm sorry to interrupt your gaming session, but we need the TV for karaoke! Heca-chan's gonna be singing for us!" she announces.

"Ha! Hecadoth and singing?" Odonel laughs in disbelief.

"Psshh, since when did Hecadoth ever start singing?" Tiriel asks disbelievingly.

"Since he lost a bet," Agiel responds. "Everyone should watch!"

"Are you kidding me?!" Hecadoth shouts in surprise.

"Well, this should be rather interesting," Laymia muses.

Soon, nearly everyone has gathered into the living room to watch Hecadoth sing. "So, which song will you be singing, Hecadoth?" Salamander asks.

Hecadoth rolls his eyes as he looks through the list of songs. "'Chizuru' by The GazettE," he concedes.

Once the song is selected, the music starts to play as the lyrics appear on the screen. As the main melody starts playing, Hecadoth starts to sing the lyrics. "_Anata no tegami ni wa yomenai ji dake, Atte sono kuchi kara kikasete hoshii…_"

The moment he sings the opening lyrics, I'm immediately blown away by his voice, and it seems like everyone else is as well. His voice is actually really good, in fact, he almost sounds like Ruki from The GazettE! Why he would hide such an amazing voice is beyond me. It's gentle, melodious, and even… seductive and suave. At first, he sounds somewhat tense and angry, all while glaring at Graphel, but soon, he loses himself in the music and sings with emotion and passion in his voice.

At the end, we all clap and cheer him on. "See, it wasn't so bad, was it?" Agiel teases.

"You have a great voice, Hecadoth!" Takachin praises.

I nod, blushing deeply. "Yeah… it was… really amazing…" I praise while stammering.

"Thanks," Hecadoth nods at me. A small smile crosses his face. "Now Yumi, I do believe you wanted to show everyone what ballet is like, right?"

I nod. "Yeah," I say. "I even brought my costume over here."

"Okay, you can go get changed. I'll rearrange the furniture here so you have enough room," Takachin offers.

"Thanks," I thank him. I take my garment bag and go into the bathroom to change. Once I put on my tights, I change into the ballet tutu and tie the ribbons of my shoes before putting the flower choker around my neck and the flower corsage around my wrist. After tying my hair into a bun, I take my CD player and leave the bathroom.

The moment I enter the living room, which has a bunch of furniture moved to the side so that the floor is clear, I see Chiyoko gasp in awe, Hecadoth's eyes widen in surprise and all the demons look surprised. "Is that your costume?" he asks. "It looks very elegant."

I blush. "Thanks…"

"That's a very intricate costume," Naga comments.

"You look very pretty, Yumi-neechan!" Chiyoko tells me.

"I've never seen anything like it," Hilda adds.

"Why's the skirt wide like that?" Yolda asks, confused.

"It's called a tutu," I explain. "It's used to display the legs and show off the point work and multiple turns that's often done in ballet." I plug my CD player into an outlet. "Kunieda, can you start the song? It's the first track."

"Sure," Kunieda says. As I assume the fourth ballet position, she goes up to the CD player and presses the play button.

Right then, the song 'Fureai' from _Romeo x Juliet _starts to play, and I put on a bright smile, starting off with a pas de chat before moving onto a sissonne during the introduction music. As the main melody starts, I do a balancé sequence before doing an attitude derriere, doing a slow spin on my tip-toe. When the melody repeats, I do some chasses and a jete before getting into an arabesque position, stretching my arms and leg out before standing in a plie. I then do a quick glissade and a petit allegro before doing a reverence during a slower part, moving my arms gracefully. As the main melody repeats again, this time rising higher and becoming a bit grander, I do a grand battement with some pirouettes.

Then, the music reaches the climax, when the orchestra builds up, and I leap in a fouette jete before landing on my feet and doing a pirouette. Once the orchestra build-up has finished, I do a pas de bourree before doing some pique turns. I then do another grand battement with pirouettes before doing more balancés. I then do some sissonnes and another attitude derriere as the music nears the end. As the music comes to an end, I do a grand allegro before doing several fouettes and I finally do a pirouette during the finale before assuming the fifth ballet position, smiling at everyone as Kunieda presses the stop button on the CD player.

Everyone starts clapping and even cheering as I do a ballet curtsey. "That was really impressive!" Takachin praises.

Naga nods thoughtfully. "Now I see why you always praise this 'ballet' so much," he muses. "It's a dance form that showcases grace, elegance, and beauty."

Hecadoth smiles at me. "It was really beautiful," he praises.

"You're an amazing dancer, Yumi-neechan!" Chiyoko praises.

"I'm a bit curious now," Isabella says. "What's the history behind ballet?"

"It actually started out as a form of ballroom dancing in the 15th and 16th centuries in Italy during the Italian Renaissance," I explain. "When it spread to France and Russia, however, it became a concert dance, and even today, there are a lot of ballet companies around the world that perform amazing ballets such as Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, La Bayadere, The Nutcracker, and many others."

"How long have you been doing this for?" Hilda asks.

"Since I was four, actually," I say. "I've been doing competitive classical ballet since I was four. It's a lot of hard work as well. I practice for hours and hours and hours a day practicing and perfecting moves and techniques, and ballet is not a 'sissy' thing either. Even men do ballet because it helps improve balance and core strength." I giggle sheepishly. "Sometimes, I like to experiment with ballet and choreograph dances to rock songs by The GazettE. I mainly do that when I'm pissed off, though."

"Choreographing dances when you're pissed off?" Graphel chuckles. "That's interesting."

I nod. "Yeah, I once did that to the song 'Invisible Wall' because I was pretty pissed at the mean girls, and I realized that the dance had some potential, so I cleaned it up and improved it more, and I even performed it at my previous school's talent show," I recall, laughing slightly. "It was basically like a middle finger to the mean girls and I won the award for 'Unusual Creativity'."

Hecadoth chuckles. "Interesting," he says. "You really are something. Can we watch that dance?"

I nod eagerly. "Sure!" I say. "This was a lot of fun to choreograph because I got to be a deranged ballerina. Kunieda, could you go to the eighth track on the CD?"

I assume the fourth position as the song 'Invisible Wall' starts to play. When it starts, I just slowly turn like a ballerina statuette in a music box. Then, when the rock music starts, I start dancing gracefully, yet deranged and having a serious, glaring, stoic look on my face. Throughout the dance, I act like a deranged ballerina and when the music slows down and comes to an end, I assume the fifth position and turn again like a statuette in a music box. Again, this dance earns applause.

"I kind of liked this one," Lord En says.

"Yeah, it must be fun to act like a deranged ballerina," Nene remarks.

Salamander nudges Hecadoth teasingly. "She really is a one of a kind girl, you know, Hecadoth?" he teases, a mischievous smile on his face. "Don't let her go." At that, Hecadoth just glares at him.

"Okay everyone!" Takachin's mom announces. "It's time for cake!"

We all go to the kitchen, where we see a large Pokemon cake sitting on the dining table. As Takachin's mom lights a candle on the cake, we all start singing Happy Birthday to Lord En. As Isabella cuts the cake, we all give him our presents. Baby Beel is the first one to give him his present, since he is the Youngest Prince.

"My Master drew this especially for you," Hilda says cheerfully, handing a very childish drawing as she holds Baby Beel in her arm. "It's supposed to be the both of you together."

Lord En looks surprised, but a cheerful smile crosses his face. "Really? Well, this is great!" he says. "Thanks, little bro!" He ruffles Baby Beel's hair and Baby Beel lets out a laugh.

My heart melts upon that sight. "Awwww!" I coo, my voice becoming higher. "That's so cute!"

"Why the hell is it that girls' voices become high when they see something cute?!" Graphel demands in annoyance. "It seriously hurts my ears!"

The next gifts are a new game console from the Great Demon Lord, some video games from the maidservants, and a lavish scepter from the Pillar Division. Then, the Ishiyama group and the Six Holy Knights all give him a large card which they all signed, as well as a bunch of Pokemon DVDs and video games that they had all cashed in some money for.

A while later, after I've changed out of my costume into my clothes, I smile as I watch Lord En have fun with his new video games as the birthday party continues on. Yeah, today definitely is a great day.


	21. Chapter 21

**Here is the final chapter of 'Purple Skies'. I'm honestly feeling kind of sad that I have to conclude this, but hey. All stories must come to an end. I hope you all enjoy the last chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Beelzebub belongs to Ryuuhei Tamura, not me.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 21- Look How Far We've Come<strong>

I stand outside on the terrace of the Pillar Division Headquarters, watching the snow gently falling to the ground. My white-coloured off-shoulder gown gently brushes the snow and sparkles in the moonlight. Even though I should be feeling cold, the warm furry cape that I'm wearing offers some protection.

It's been seven years since everything happened, and I'm now twenty-five years old. A lot has happened after graduation. Straight after graduation, I went to Makai to do some teacher training and I became the teacher of Human World subjects for the Pillar Division. My standard uniform is a Pillar General coat, a green double-breasted coat, and a green pencil skirt, somewhat similar to the standard Pillar uniform. I teach various Human World subjects to the members of the Pillar Division, including English, Human World History, Modern Literature, and Math.

Even Takachin lives in the Pillar Division Headquarters, and has become a lieutenant and strategist of the Pillar Division. He and Agiel are still in a happy relationship, and he occasionally visits Oga in the Human World just to see how he's doing, now that he's the parent of both Baby Beel and Baby Nico. Both Oga and Hilda are happily married now and they both live in the Human World.

Just today, it has been my turn to tie the knot. Today, I married Hecadoth at the Pillar Division Headquarters, having a Human World ceremony. I'm glad he agreed to follow some of the Human World traditions, in which a bride wears white. I didn't want to wear a black wedding dress, like how demon brides are often required to do so. The entire Pillar Division was there, of course, since one of their own was getting married. We had also invited our families and our friends.

I smile as I watch the snow falling to the ground. "Winter here is actually very beautiful," I muse to myself, staring at the deep purple sky. The noise from the party inside the headquarters is somewhat distant, but I don't mind. I release my hair from the bun it's in and look down at the ring on my left hand.

"What are you doing out here?" I turn and see Hecadoth, standing by the entrance. He's wearing a black tuxedo under his Pillar General coat, looking as handsome as ever.

"I was just thinking," I say softly. "What about you?"

He chuckles. "I just wanted to find you," he tells me, walking up to me. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you," I thank. "What do you think of Human World wedding ceremonies?"

"They're honestly not much different from Makai wedding ceremonies," Hecadoth says. "Although, I must admit that you look good in white." A slightly sad smile crosses his face. "Your father was in tears today."

I nod, feeling a bit sad. "Well, it has been only him and me for almost forever, so he's gonna be kind of lonely," I say. "He's still happy, no doubt." I turn out to face the landscape. "Winter's beautiful, isn't it?"

Hecadoth nods. "It is," he agrees.

I smile. "Look how far we've come," I tell him. "We've come a hell of a long way, huh?"

He laughs. "We definitely have," he agrees. "You've come so far from that quiet, hesitant, distant girl that you were when we first met. You're still very headstrong and very maternal, and you're a very good teacher." He pulls me into a warm hug. "I'm so proud of you."

I hug him back as he continues. "You know, I'm glad I met you," he tells me. "You're unlike any other girl. You're headstrong, no-nonsense, and you really know when to curse like a sailor."

I laugh at that. "Really? You like that?"

"Of course," he murmurs. "I also love how you're so dedicated and sincere to nearly everything you do and to everyone who is close to you."

"Me too," I whisper. "Thank you, Hecadoth. For everything."

"No, I should be thanking you," Hecadoth says. "You know, it wasn't until I was contracted to Furuichi that I learned the true meaning of real friendships. But it wasn't until I met you that I learned the true meaning of love."

I smile into his shoulder. "You've also come a long way as well," I tell him. "You were somewhat cold and distant when you came here as well, but after coming to the Human World, you changed."

A wry smile crosses his face. "I guess that's what the Human World does to demons," he muses.

He leans in and captures my lips with his in a gentle kiss, cupping his hands around my face. Despite the kiss being brief, it says many words. When he pulls away, we just simply hold hands and watch the moon shining from the purple sky. "In life and in death…" I murmur. "Together shall we be, henceforth for all of eternity."

And despite whatever hardships we'll go through, we'll always come out stronger than ever.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading, everyone! I might not be able to post full chapter stories, but I'm gonna be making a collection of one-shotsdrabbles about Furuichi and the Pillar Division called 'Furuichi the Lieutenant'. Hope to see you all again soon!**


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